


Connected Pawns

by AoiTsukikage



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood Drinking, Eventual Relationships, M/M, More tags to be added, Multiple Pairings, Spies & Secret Agents, Threesome - M/M/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2018-09-28 16:36:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 60,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10138328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AoiTsukikage/pseuds/AoiTsukikage
Summary: Agent!AU fic.Once, they were all part of the same agency.Now, scattered and divided, things are different.But that's all about to change.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic would not be possible without my [wonderful partner and co-conspirator](https://twitter.com/tsunusia) who came up with so many of the plot ideas and helps keep me heading in the right direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is a collaboration of sorts between banana_hayato ([@tsunusia](https://twitter.com/tsunusia) on Twitter) and myself that we started discussing as an AU scenario back in December or so and it's gradually evolved since then. Most of the main ensemble stars cast is probably going to show up at some point and there will be more pairings added but I don't want to give too much away since a lot of what happens is plot-motivated. 
> 
> This whole idea mostly started as a one-shot that's posted [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8154643/chapters/20025418) (and this one is exclusively ritsumao) so if you want to read that first to get a better idea of the world this 'verse is situated in, please feel free!
> 
> That being said, I hope you enjoy the first chapter!

_We have your kid_

-

It's a simple text, just four words with no signature and an unavailable source number, but that doesn't stop the chill that goes down his spine as he reads them.

He knew this would happen.

He's known this would happen since the day Eichi decided sending somebody into Knights' base in order to 'test their defenses' was a good idea, and since he was hardly going to give up any of his _own_ men on what would likely turn out to be a suicide mission, that left it up to Keito to choose the unlucky sacrificial lamb.

Or well, hopefully not, since Keito knows Knights' leader pretty well and he's hardly the brutal and bloodthirsty spectre that the entire city seems to paint him as.

That still doesn't mean he takes kindly to trespassers, however, and while the tense of the text makes Keito believe his 'kid' is still alive...well, they had to get Keito's name out of him _somehow_.

And that? That worries him. Knights' designated torturer isn't the scariest one he's ever met - but he's not human, either, and he has a craving for blood that by all accounts is damn near insatiable.

He doesn't want to think about Mao being tortured, though, so he does the first thing he _can_ think of and tries to send a message back.

It gets rejected, of course, and a quick call to Mao's phone ends up with it ringing in his room - as expected, really, since an agent taking a phone with them that could be easily hacked should something go wrong would be a rookie move.

Mao might be young and relatively untested, but he's hardly a rookie.

Well, he thinks as he pockets the phone and frowns down at the perfectly-made bed in the sterile, impersonal room, there's really only one thing to do: pay Tsukinaga a personal visit.

He just hopes he's not too late.

-

The room Mao wakes up in is unfamiliar, the walls painted dark and covered with random photos and post-its instead of the blank walls of his own...

Well. Technically it's his room, although it's never really _felt_ like his. A bed, a dresser, a closet, a tiny attached bathroom...living there hadn't been a home, and while he supposed getting into any agency was probably a blessing, this one seems...different.

He shifts his hands a little, hearing the tell-tale clink of handcuffs, and rolls onto his back. The t-shirt he's been given rides up, and while he feels vulnerable without his suit, at least Ritsu is about the same size and height as him so wearing his clothes isn't uncomfortable.

"You're awake? You should sleep more," Ritsu's languid voice flows over him like silk.

"You're awake, too," he counters, breathing out slowly and humming a little when Ritsu's hand slides over his exposed stomach. Fuck, he's only known the vampire for a few hours, but his touch already seems familiar and...weirdly comforting.

"I'm a creature of the night, remember? It's far more common for me to be asleep in the daytime, but I thought you might want company," he doesn't move his hand but Mao doesn't mind. "I can take the handcuffs off, if you want. I'm fairly sure you won't try to run."

And yeah.

He's technically a prisoner, though with the way he's being treated it's hard to remember that.

"Yeah," he agrees, dozing a little until Ritsu comes back with the key and he feels the cuffs fall away. "Thanks."

"Mm, you're safe with me," Ritsu brushes a kiss against his forehead and Mao lets his eyes flutter open, though it's too dark to see much detail.

"You're trusting me a lot," Mao doesn't know why he says it, since honestly being allowed this much freedom is something he shouldn't take for granted, but he still can't help but feel like there's a catch somewhere.

"I can read people, you know, since I'm not one," Ritsu's fangs brush his shoulder and he shivers, the cut from before stinging a little at the memory.

No, Ritsu hadn't actually _bitten_ him, but he'd still drank his blood.

"And?"

"And we've got nothing to fear from you. I can taste things, too, and you...you weren't happy where you were. You didn't feel like you belonged. Though, since you were with Tenshouin, I suppose that's not unexpected," he murmurs, and Mao wants to be creeped out by this but…

But he's right.

"So I'm just supposed to stay here forever, then?"

"No," Ritsu chuckles. "No, you can leave eventually. But not until this has blown over and he's convinced you're dead or something so the chances of him trying to get information from you about us are less."

"You mean I can go home?"

"Your real home? Yes, if you want. You have a family?" Ritsu sounds vaguely interested, his hand rubbing Mao's stomach in a rather soothing way.

"Yeah. Parents and a sister. They don't know much about what I do but they don't care about me that much so..." he shrugs, thinking that maybe he was partially hoping he could find the validation he'd never gotten at home with an agency, but he could never have imagined getting involved in something like this. "What about you? Do vampires have families?"

"Not parents or anything, not that I know of," Ritsu replies. "I have...I suppose you'd call him a 'brother', but as far as I'm concerned he's just an annoying bug I have to deal with occasionally before he buzzes off somewhere else."

Mao smiles at that, because there's obvious fondness underneath Ritsu's dismissive tone.

"I...if you want to stay here and join us, you're welcome to. It's your choice, but I think you'd be happier, and we're not in the business of sending any of our men into situations they won't come back from," he says quietly, and Mao can't say he hasn't been considering it based on everything he's found out today.

The rest of Knights seem like an okay group, at least, though he hadn't seen much of their leader or of the junior agent Ritsu said was a new recruit. Arashi had made sure he wasn't injured and had gotten him a warm meal, and Izumi seemed brusque but ultimately non-threatening.

"I'll think about it. Maybe I can go back home and start living an honest life," he chuckles, staring up at the ceiling.

"If you like," Ritsu sounds a little disappointed, but Mao can't think about that now since he's not letting himself get attached. "You should sleep more."

"Yeah," he rolls over so he's on his side again, hearing Ritsu shift a little by the rustling of the sheets. He sighs when Ritsu's arm slides around his waist and he cuddles up to his back, because even though Ritsu isn't exactly _warm_ , he's still...comfortable, somehow.

Maybe that's not right, that he feels safe with a monster holding him, but for some reason he _does_ trust Ritsu and he's been nothing but upfront and honourable so far.

"Sleep, Maa-kun," Ritsu whispers, kissing his cheek. "I'll stay if you want me to, or I can leave."

"Stay," he says immediately, gripping Ritsu's hand, and he hears the vampire suck in a startled breath before he's being pushed onto his back and a hot mouth is hungrily pressed to his own.

"Sorry," Ritsu pulls back quickly. "You...you probably don't realize what you did, but you know the old tales about vampires needing to be invited into your home?"

"Huh?" Mao blinks, a little dazed at the intensity of the kiss.

Their _first_ kiss, he realizes blearily, since Ritsu hadn't actually kissed him before drinking his blood and he probably thought it was only polite not to do it after.

"You gave me permission," Ritsu explains. "Even though this is my room, I still would never do anything you didn't want."

"Oh," Mao breathes out, because of course he _hadn't_ realized, but...

But it doesn't matter, really, because now that he's had a taste, he wants more.

"I want you to kiss me again," he says, kind of proud that his voice doesn't shake, but he can see Ritsu's eyes flash in the darkness and this time the kiss isn't nearly as desperate.

Mao wraps his arms around Ritsu's back, lifting himself up a little to get even more contact. Maybe it's that whole vampire pheromone thing that Ritsu had talked about earlier, but he feels almost intoxicated and it's... _nice_.

"Okay," Ritsu pulls back slowly, sounding a little breathless. "We shouldn't go too far. You..." he sighs, lying down and tugging Mao closer again.

Mao curls against him, closing his eyes and trying to clear his head a little because it still feels muddled from the kiss. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to do anything more with you until you decide if you're staying. It'll be harder for me to let go if I get used to you," he says softly, and Mao figures this is another weird vampire thing, but honestly if just kissing Ritsu has him this out of it then it's probably a good thing to be able to think more clearly about it before making any sort of choice.

He nods, feeling sleep stealing over him again, and thinks that if he _does_ choose to stay...well, maybe it won't be all that bad.

-

"Where is he?"

"Keito!" Leo opens the door with a flourish, grinning at the man on the other side. He'd been expecting him after the text, so this wasn't a surprise visit, but it had barely been a few hours.

"Don't play games with me, Tsukinaga," Keito slides past him into the base and waits for Leo to close the door and deactivate the system preventing them from moving farther than the entrance holding area. "I know you have him."

"Well, you sent him to us, so...yeah," Leo shrugs, opening the pressurized inner door to let them into the hall. "What was your plan, anyway? Were you hoping we wouldn't kill him or hoping we'd keep him? Or both?"

"Hoping you wouldn't kill him, first of all, though if you wanted to keep him I wouldn't object to it," Keito admits, sounding like it's a chore for him to do so.

"Well, Rittsu's already taken a liking to him so you might have a hard time tearing him away now," Leo grins as they enter the living quarters, noting that Keito looks relieved after hearing that. "What? Did you think we were torturing him or something? He's just a kid, Keito, he's obviously not a threat."

"You know most people don't see it that way," Keito shakes his head sadly, sitting down at the kitchen table. "Can I see him?"

"Mm, hang on a sec," Leo digs in his pocket, bringing out his phone and and flipping through a couple of photos before holding it out.

Keito frowns at him, taking it and rolling his eyes at what he sees. "I meant in person, but I suppose this is proof."

"Aren't they cute?" Leo swipes his phone back, staring down at the picture with a smile. He'd snuck into Ritsu's room earlier, mostly to check on them, but it's very hard for him to resist when something catches his attention.  The rest of Knights have learned by now that if there's somebody else in bed with them Leo's probably going to have a picture of it by morning.

Not that there are other people there very often, of course, since nobody outside of their profession is really allowed in, but that makes it all the more special when someone _is_ and it's only right to document it, really.

"He's not just playing with Isara, is he?"

"Huh?" Leo blinks before realizing 'Isara' must be the kid's last name, since so far Ritsu's just been calling him 'Maa-kun' like they're already close enough for pet names. "Ah! No, no, Rittsu doesn't get attached easily. If he likes your boy, it's genuine."

"I know a bit about vampires, you realize," Keito says dryly, leaning back in his chair.

"Right! You and his brother and that doggy kid! What did you call yourselves? Deadmanz?" Leo snickers, even though the memory isn't exactly a good once since at that time they had all been part of the same agency until...well, until Tenshouin decided to take things over with his money and his influence and forced the rest of them out.

Those were dark days, and not ones he wants to recall if he can help it.

"Please don't talk about that. It's embarrassing," Keito clears his throat. "We would never have worked as a long-term team anyway, so best that it ended when it did."

"Sometimes I wonder why you still hang around there, you know," Leo decides it's time to be serious now, looking at Keito and tilting his head to the side. "You're the only ones left."

"I have my reasons," Keito replies, reaching to adjust his glasses absently. "Besides, if I wasn't there to keep an eye on Eichi, it would just make things even more impossible for all of you."

"Mm," Leo narrows his eyes, not entirely believing him because he can tell that Keito...well, for whatever reason, Keito seems to actually _like_ Tenshouin and that's more than a little baffling to him given how level-headed he seems in general. "So why's he targeting us all of a sudden?"

"You're the biggest threat to him now," Keito says like it should be obvious. "You're strong, you've got numbers, and he was really hoping Suou would join up with him since his family's money would be a big asset."

"Heh, the kid's got too much honour to join somebody like that," Leo smirks, since even though he hadn't known this directly...well, getting one-up on Tenshouin is a blessing regardless. "Still, it's not like we're targeting _him_."

"I highly doubt that matters when he feels there's a possibility you might," Keito shrugs. "But given that he's worried about Itsuki and Sakasaki joining up, too, he might be inclined to leave you alone for a while."

"Yeah, Itsuki's definitely going after him," Leo knows that for sure because, from what he’s seen, Shu's beef with Tenshouin seems to run a lot deeper than his own. "Well, let me know if anything changes."

"You know I will if I can.  Eichi might not be watching my every move but I still don't think he completely trusts anybody and it's better for me not to have contact with rival teams," he notes, glancing around the kitchen like he's worried Eichi's spying on him even now.    
  
"I know, I know," Leo waves his hand idly.  "Be safe, okay?"  
  
Keito seems about to reply when there's a rather unholy noise from down the hall and Izumi comes stomping into the kitchen, a loudly protesting cat slung over his shoulder.    
  
"Ou-sama!  Tell Naru-kun to keep his fucking cat away from my room!  The damn thing was staring at me when I woke up-" he stops when he sees Keito, his cheeks going a little pink.  "Hasumi."  
  
"Sena," Keito replies evenly, though Leo doesn't miss the way he stares at Izumi for a little longer than necessary.  He doesn't think much of it - Izumi's beautiful so of course everyone notices, but he didn't expect Keito to be affected too.    
  
"She likes you!" Leo protests as Izumi sets the cat down on a chair where it immediately starts grooming itself.  "Or she sees you as a rival since you're pretty much a cat anyway."  
  
Izumi bristles at that, his shoulders rising and a hiss escaping his throat.  "I am not!"  
  
"Wahaha, you just proved my point!" Leo flails his arms and nearly ends up tipping his chair backwards, though Izumi almost instinctively reaches out to save him.    
  
"Be careful, idiot," he mutters, looking over at Keito.  "You're here about the kid?"  
  
"Yes, but I see he's in good hands," Keito sound reluctant to admit that.  "And I'd stay for a cup of coffee but I think I've already spent too long here.  Tell Sakuma to take care of the boy, will you?  He's special."  
  
"Yeah," Izumi sets a hand on his hip and nods.  "Real special if he can charm Kuma-kun like that, though I guess being under a vampire's protection makes him safer than most people, huh?"  
  
"So I've heard," Keito replies vaguely, standing and brushing some imaginary dust off of his pants.  "I'll see myself out."  
  
"Come back soon!" Leo waves, wincing when Izumi smacks the back of his head lightly.  "Hey!"  
  
"Id-i-ot, did you not just hear him say he can't?" Izumi rolls his eyes.  "And you need a code to get back past the inner door so I'll take you."  
  
Keito smiles a little and nods, walking off with Izumi.  Leo pouts and rubs the back of his head, even though it doesn't really hurt, but while he sees Izumi's point he _likes_ Keito and he _wants_ him to come back soon.    
  
"Who was that?" Ritsu slinks into the kitchen, blinking under the lights.  "And make it quick because the sun's getting too high for me to be awake."  
  
"The sun's barely up!  And you can't see it in here anyway!" Leo protests, leaning his chair back again so it's balancing on its hind legs.    
  
"I can feel it," Ritsu grumbles, reaching to pet the cat.   "So?"  
  
"Keito!  He says to take care of his kid!" Leo looks up at the ceiling, swinging his feet up to rest on the table.    
  
"Huh.  Funny that he would care after sending him here to die," Ritsu sniffs.  "Besides, he was friends with my brother.  I don't have to listen to him."  
  
"Mm, he had his reasons," Leo mumbles, not feeling like elaborating any more than that.  "But you'll take care of him, right?"  
  
"Not because _he_ asked me to, that's for sure.  I'll keep him safe, though, if he wants to stay," Ritsu sounds a little down and Leo wonders if that means the kid _doesn't_ want to stay, but he supposes he'll find out in time.  "I'm going back to bed.  Don't kill yourself," he says briskly before leaving, and Leo’s confused about what he means before he almost loses his balance and has to carefully get all four of the chair's legs back onto the floor.    
  
"You know this is bad, right?" Izumi comes back without Keito, sliding into the seat the other man had vacated.  "Tenshouin won't stop with a rookie.  He'll be sending other people, too, and ones that will be more dangerous."  
  
"We'll take care of them," Leo shrugs, not all that concerned.  "Besides, Keito told me he's targeting a bunch of people, so if he's splitting his focus we'll have time to plan."  
  
"I hope you're right," Izumi sighs, giving the cat another glare as he goes to get a pot of coffee going, but Leo's really not worried.    
  
They can handle Tenshouin, after all, so the only thing to do now is wait for him to make the next move.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is shaping up to be a pretty long fic based on the ideas that we have so far, and more characters/pairings will be added to the summary as they become relevant. Any other warnings will also be posted at the beginning of their respective chapters. 
> 
> Please feel free to leave a comment if you feel so inclined!


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm leaving."  
  
"You can't, you have to stay until..."   
  
"No.  No, I don't care about that, I'm leaving," Mao reaches for the gun he'd seen on the nightstand behind him, hoping it's loaded to give his threat some actual credibility.     
  
He sees a flash of hurt in Ritsu's eyes before his lips curl up in a smirk, fangs protruding slightly.     
  
"Bullets won't hurt me."   
  
"I'm leaving," Mao ignores the statement because yeah, he'd kind of figured that an undead creature couldn't be killed with regular bullets, but it still makes him feel safer to hold the gun in his hands.  "I'm not okay with being used as a pawn."   
  
He'd gotten the full story when he'd woken up - along with his phone that Keito had dropped off for him - and while he'd tried to keep his anger in check it hadn't been easy.     
  
"We went through this yesterday," Ritsu sighs, sounding unimpressed.  "And you know how well trying to escape went for you then, so what makes you think it'll be different?"   
  
"Don't try to stop me," Mao glances toward the door, wondering if he can make it out before Ritsu catches him, but he's barely started taking a step to try when he finds himself slammed against the wall, the gun falling uselessly to the ground.     
  
"I'm starting to regret uncuffing you," Ritsu murmurs, breath hot on the back of Mao's neck.  "Or should I take you back to the holding cell you were in to begin with and let you cool off there for a while?"   
  
"Just let me go," Mao knows struggling won't get him anywhere, and more than likely he's only making things worse for himself, but he can't just pretend he's okay with what's been happening.  "I won't cause you any trouble, I'm just going home."   
  
"And I told you, we can't yet," Ritsu growls, obviously irritated.  "Hold on for a few more days and I have no problem with you leaving, but don't make this harder on yourself than it has to be."   
  
Mao leans his cheek against the wall, closing his eyes and feeling the fight leave his body.  He knows he's being irrational, probably, but he can't help it.  Keito should have told him - or, at the very least, he should have asked him if he wanted to get away from Eichi instead of assuming and leading him into a situation where he was terrified he was going to be killed for a good couple of hours.     
  
It makes him feel like everything was just decided _for_ him, and he'd thought that Keito had more regard for his own abilities than that.     
  
"I think you need to meet our King," Ritsu says softly, brushing a kiss against the nape of his neck.  "He can explain things better than I can, probably, since he was right in the middle of the mess back when Tenshouin was taking over the agency."   
  
"Okay," Mao agrees, even though he's a little intimidated by Leo.  He must be formidable if even _Eichi_ is afraid of him, and he feels a little like he's being marched to his execution with the way Ritsu won't let go of his arm as they head toward the kitchen.     
  
"Ou-sama!  We need to talk!" Ritsu pushes Mao down into a chair, standing behind him like a guard.  "Get out here!"   
  
"Wahaha, you're so impatient, Rittsu!" Leo pokes his head around the corner of another room, his eyes lighting up when he sees Mao.  "Hey!  You're up!"   
  
"Up and deciding threatening me with a gun was a good idea," Ritsu replies dryly, his fingers tightening like a vise on Mao's shoulder.     
  
"Ahh, a lover's quarrel already?  How tragic!" Leo dramatically slumps into another chair and flops forward onto the table.  "And here I thought he might be the one!"   
  
"We're not anything, Ou-sama," Ritsu mutters, and again Mao can hear the rather obvious disappointment in his voice.  "But I thought maybe you could shed some light on what's going on."   
  
"Mm, maybe, maybe," Leo leans back, furrowing his brow in thought.  "Or then again, maybe not.  What do you want to know?"   
  
"Uh..." Mao pauses, mostly because he hasn't really thought that far.  He's still angry at Keito, of course, but that's more of a personal matter and he's not really sure Leo will be able to help with that.  Still, Keito apparently being friendly with Knights at all is probably the biggest surprise, and that's something that he _might_ get an answer for.  "How do you know Hasumi-san?"   
  
"Keito?" Leo blinks.  "Ah, well, you probably know that we all used to be part of the same agency, right?"   
  
"They don't talk much about it but I've heard things," Mao admits, trying to relax.  Ritsu's fingers loosen their grip a little, sliding back into his hair.     
  
"Well, most of us that were around there at the time know each other, or know _of_ each other, I guess," he frowns.  "Keito and I did weapons training together, though I think he'd rather use a bow than a gun.  Archery was kind of his thing," Leo grins, and while Mao hadn't known that, somehow it fits Keito and his rather rigid sense of control.  "That's how we met Suo~, too, even though he was barely a trainee at the time."   
  
"Back then it was just us."   
  
Mao glances up as Izumi wanders in, hands stuffed casually in his pockets.  "Me and Kuma-kun and this idiot here, so when things went to shit with Tenshouin we all got out together.  Naru-kun never went to the agency, he was...well, I used to do some modelling work so that's how we met," he frowns, not looking like he wants to expand on that.     
  
And Mao gets it, since technically he's still their enemy and he has no loyalty to them.  He would probably do the same thing if their positions were reversed.     
  
"Yeah, that was pretty soon after we broke away so we were in bad shape and needed help, and then one day Suo~ showed up at our door saying he'd almost completed his academy training and wanted to join up," Leo looks smug as he says the words.  "That really pissed Tenshouin off since he was counting on his family's money to keep taking things over.  I mean, him and that pink-haired gremlin of his are super rich, but Suo~ comes from a pretty well-known family so it's worse for them to have him on our side."   
  
"I still don't know why the kid joined up here since all you two ever do is argue," Izumi sniffs.  "He's a decent agent, I guess, but he's super green."   
  
"Anyway, you can't join us," Leo changes the subject abruptly and Mao feels Ritsu's hand tighten on his shoulder again.  "You can stay if you want and work for us, but you won't be part of Knights.  We have all our pieces already."   
  
"Pieces?" Mao blinks, because now he's even more confused.     
  
"Our code names," Izumi replies with a sigh.  "You should know about those, anyway, since Tenshouin flaunts his 'Emperor' title around enough."   
  
"Oh!  Yeah, I guess," Mao admits, though he really hadn't given it much thought.  "So you're all..."   
  
"Chess pieces," Ritsu chuckles.  "King, obviously," he waves his hand toward Leo, who puffs his chest out proudly.  "I'm the only actual knight here, Secchan's the bishop and Suu-chan's the rook."   
  
"And Naru's my queen, of course," Leo looks at Mao intently.  "So you see, we're full.  The only chess piece not represented is the pawn, and I'd never treat any of my men as pawns," his face gets utterly serious for a moment, eyebrows drawn in and lips pulled down into a frown.     
  
"I mean, I was pretty much used as one, so I can respect that," Mao says quietly, and a second later Leo beams at him.     
  
"Good!  So you can stay or leave or whatever," he looks unconcerned and starts humming something, tapping his fingers against the tabletop.     
  
"He can't leave yet, Ou-sama.  We've discussed this," Izumi breaks in.  "Not until Tenshouin..."   
  
"Nah, he can go," Leo shrugs.  "Tenshouin's got other problems, he won't be looking for his little lamb anymore.  Keito told me Valkyrie and whatever group Sakasaki has set up are joining forces."   
  
"Valkyrie's down a member," Ritsu yawns, leaning down so his nose is pushed into Mao's hair.  "And neither Itsuki nor his little crow are really field agents.  If Sakasaki's found recruits, they're rookies, so they won't be much of a threat."   
  
"Yeah, yeah," Leo looks like he hasn't heard a word, his expression still relaxed.  "He can go."   
  
"Can you listen to us for once?"   
  
"I did!  Tenshouin will go after them first and we'll hear about it, but that means he won't be watching us.  So go, little lamb!  Run free!" Leo waves his arms dramatically.     
  
"Right," Mao manages to get up even under Ritsu’s firm grasp, walking quickly back to the vampire's room to grab his phone and his suit jacket.     
  
He can’t waste this opportunity, after all, since Leo seems to change his mind every five minutes so getting out while he has the chance is the best option right now.     
  
"You know I'm against this."   
  
"Yeah," Mao shrugs his jacket on, really hoping that Ritsu's not going to give him any trouble.     
  
His King gave a direct order, so he should follow it, right?   
  
"You're leaving anyway."   
  
"Yeah," Mao repeats, striding forward.  "So let me."   
  
"I guess I don't have a choice," Ritsu moves to the side, opening the doorway for Mao to pass through.  "I'll walk you to the front door.  You need one of us to let you out."   
  
"Thanks," Mao doesn't really meet his eyes, preferring to not draw this out any longer than it needs to be.     
  
Ritsu starts moving down the hallway, heading for the entrance, and Mao glances around to try and memorize the way since it wasn't as if he'd come in that way.     
  
There's a long corridor with a giant, bulletproof door at the end, and Ritsu presses his hand against something on the wall that causes it to slide open.     
  
"Go ahead.  You can get out the main door by yourself, but it only opens from this side," he stops, lowering his eyes and staring at the floor.     
  
Mao doesn't say anything, telling himself that it's not worth it to get emotional over leaving a guy he's known for less than a day - _especially_ a guy that's not even human.     
  
"Mao."   
  
"Huh?"   
  
Mao turns but suddenly Ritsu's just _there_ even though Mao hadn't seen him move.  He reaches to brush Mao's hair out of his eyes, cupping his cheek and tilting his head down so that Ritsu can kiss his forehead.     
  
"Take care of yourself."   
  
He doesn't really move back, his arms sliding around Mao's waist in a loose embrace that Mao returns after a moment of hesitation.     
  
"Go see your family," he whispers, stepping back.  Mao takes a deep breath, trying to figure out what he can say - or even if he _should_ say anything - but...   
  
"Thank you for not killing me," he finally mumbles, earning a soft chuckle from Ritsu.     
  
"Just remember that you're welcome here," Ritsu glances over his shoulder once before going back into the base, the heavy door closing with a final-sounding 'thud' behind him.     
  
Mao buttons his suit jacket up, trying to appear presentable on the outside even when his emotions are all over the place otherwise, and pushes the next door open only to have bright sunlight assault his eyes.     
  
He blinks, not used to it after a day underground, but it's not far to his family's home and he starts walking in that direction as quickly as possible to get some distance between him and Ritsu.     
  
He's not running away, he tells himself firmly.  He's not a coward.     
  
He just needs to think.   
  
\-   
  
Being at home is strange.     
  
After training at the agency, he'd more or less gotten used to having a room with only the bare essentials, so having anything more than that feels far more luxurious than it had growing up.     
  
His parents and sister are happy to see him, of course, and though his flimsy excuse of having a week off sounds hollow to his own ears at least it gives him a bit of time to think.     
  
He can't go back to the agency proper, obviously, and he can't stay here indefinitely, so his options are a little limited at the moment.     
  
It only takes his family a couple of hours to seemingly forget his existence the way they always do and he flops onto the bed in his room - _his_ bed, technically - staring up at the ceiling and feeling his shoulder sting a little when he shifts and causes his starchy dress shirt to rub against it.     
  
It wouldn't be fair to go back just because it's his only option, he decides quickly.  Maybe he can start his own base...find other agents...Keito might help him...   
  
But no, Keito has enough to deal with as it is.  He shouldn't have to babysit Mao on top of all of that.     
  
He sighs and turns his face against the pillow, thinking that maybe getting some sleep will help.     
  
The room feels foreign to him now, like the boy who used to live there doesn't exist anymore and he's intruding on something that shouldn't be disturbed.   
  
He doesn't belong here.     
  
He doesn't belong anywhere, really, since the place he'd tried to make his home would probably only result in him dying if he went back.     
  
Well, he thinks as his eyes slide closed, he doesn't have to decide right away.     
  
There's time.   
  
\-   
  
"Have you ever seen a vampire moping?"   
  
"Huh?" Mao looks beside him, hand reaching for an apple as he idly makes his way through the produce section of his local grocery store.     
  
"Hello, Mao-chan."   
  
Arashi smiles thinly at him, swiping the apple Mao's fingers are almost touching.     
  
"I'm not trying to guilt you into anything, but Ritsu-chan is...not the easiest person to get along with, and even though you were only there for a day, it made a difference.  I mean, now he's worse than ever, but..." he turns to head into a different aisle and Mao follows after a moment, checking out of habit to make sure nobody's watching them.     
  
"Look, I like him, but he's..."   
  
"Admittedly I haven't been there very long, but from the things I've heard from Izumi-chan it doesn't seem like he takes to people very easily.  Or at all," he amends, frowning as he stares at a row of cereal boxes.  "So if you're worried about this being a passing fancy of his, it isn't.  His kind don't attach themselves to humans easily, and him taking a chance on you..."   
  
Mao sighs, because even if Arashi _says_ he's not trying to make him feel guilty, it's happening anyway.     
  
If all of this is true and Ritsu decided to allow him close only for Mao to run away like he couldn't wait to escape, then that was a really shitty thing of him to do.     
  
"You don't have to believe me, but I'm not lying," Arashi finally pulls a box off the shelf, shrugging and tossing it in the basket he's carrying.  "It sounds healthy so Izumi-chan will probably like it."   
  
"And the rest of you are okay with me just..."   
  
"Making yourself at home?" Arashi chuckles.  "Hey, if it makes Ritsu-chan easier to live with, we'll all be very glad to have you there."   
  
Mao finds it in himself to smile at that, remembering Ritsu's words from the first day about not lacking a mother or sister figure with both Izumi and Arashi around.     
  
It's not like his own mother and sister dote on him, after all, so maybe it would be nice to experience that for a change.     
  
And Ritsu...yeah, having Ritsu around wouldn't be that bad either.     
  
"I'll set an extra place at dinner," Arashi pats his arm on the way by and Mao wonders if he's _that_ transparent even though there's really no other choice he can make right now.     
  
Maybe it's not the right one, but it's the only one that makes sense, so he might as well see how it plays out.     
  
\-   
  
"Are we having a visitor?"   
  
"Mm?" Arashi looks over his shoulder, a stack of plates in his hands that he sets on the table.

Ritsu frowns at the place settings, since as far as he knows there’s only five people living there.  He’d like for it to be six, of course, but it’s been almost a week with no sign of Mao so he’s starting to give up hope.  

“A visitor.  Or did you forget how to count?” he sniffs, knowing that was uncalled for but feeling surly enough not to care.  

“Just be patient,” Arashi replies, setting the dishes on the table and humming to himself.  

Ritsu growls under his breath because ‘being patient’ isn’t something he needs to be told to do after living as long as he has.  He wants answers when he asks for them, especially since Arashi’s being intentionally vague, and that might annoy him more than anything.  

The shrill beeping of the security system makes him look up, his eyes unconsciously darting toward the corridor leading to the entrance.  

“Ah, it looks like he’s right on time!” Arashi sets the last of the plates down with a flourish and spins around.  “Why don’t you go get the door?”

Ritsu’s half-tempted to snipe back that Arashi should do it himself, but part of him is curious and at least it might distract him for a few minutes.   _Any_ distraction is welcome, really, since otherwise he just thinks about Mao and that’s not getting him anywhere.  

He pads down the hallway, making no noise at all on the hard floor, and glances at the screen just past the heavy inner door that shows a camera view of the entrance.  

There’s definitely someone standing there, and it takes a moment for him to realize what he’s seeing is real and not his mind playing tricks on him.  

He’s never seen Mao with his hair pinned up, for one thing, so it would be hard for him to come up with that detail on his own.  

Mao looks up toward the camera, blinking at it and shuffling his feet while he stares at the door.  He has a pack slung over his shoulder, wearing a rather casual hooded sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, and Ritsu swears if he had a working heart that it would be fluttering right now.  

Mao in a suit with glasses was one thing, but Mao looking casual and young like this is something else altogether and Ritsu’s honestly not sure which one he prefers.

He realizes that he’s just been staring at Mao for a few minutes and reaches to open the door, wondering if a monster can even feel nervous because he’s pretty sure that’s what’s happening right now.  

Mao’s head snaps up when the door opens, an unreadable expression flitting across his face for the briefest moment before he takes a deep breath and moves into the base.  

Ritsu opens the inner door once the outer one has closed fully, hanging back in order to give Mao room to make the first move.  

“Hey,” Mao smiles at him, shifting his pack a little.  “I’m back.”

“You are,” Ritsu agrees, wondering if it would be bad manners to pin Mao against the wall and kiss him right now.

Probably, since there’s no guarantee Mao would even be interested in that, but it doesn’t stop him from thinking about it anyway.  

Mao’s smile drops a little, his shoulders slumping in something that looks like defeat.  “Narukami and I met up in the grocery store.  He said you were being difficult.”

“Mm, can you blame me?” Ritsu sighs, because of _course_ Arashi had been meddling.  He can’t say he minds, honestly, if it had been what brought Mao back, but it’s still expected.  

“Well,” Mao doesn’t meet his eyes, looking down at the floor.  “I think it’s only fair for me to be honest, but the main reason I came back is because I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

And yeah, Ritsu’s pretty sure this is what having a heart feels like because his chest starts to ache like somebody’s stabbed a knife into it.  

Of course.  Mao couldn’t really go back to Tenshouin’s agency after everything, and he would have felt out of place trying to live a normal life with his family.  It makes sense he’d come back, if only to have a place to call home for a bit.  

“Regardless of why you’re here, you’re still welcome.  Nacchan even set a place for you at dinner,” Ritsu tries to sound neutral, taking a step back and leaving the doorway open so that Mao can enter the base.  

“Thanks,” Mao glances at him briefly, slinking by him so they don’t touch, and Ritsu thinks sadly that acting like total strangers might even be harder than if Mao had never come back at all.  

And truth be told, he really doesn’t want to deal with that, so maybe it’s better to find out where Mao’s head is at right now.  

“You know we don’t have any open beds,” he says casually, sliding by Mao and reaching to brush their fingers together.  “So unless you want to sleep on the couch…”

“Oh,” Mao blushes a little, reaching to rub the back of his neck.  “I guess I kinda didn’t mention that...before, I wanted to…” he pauses, biting his lower lip.  

“Yes?” Ritsu slides closer, wrapping an arm around Mao’s waist and leaning into him.  He can feel Mao’s pulse thrumming under his skin, so close that Ritsu has to actively resist the urge to bite him.  

“I was hoping maybe we could have that second date,” Mao’s cheeks look even pinker now, his eyes stubbornly facing forward although his fingers close around Ritsu’s tightly.  “I didn’t come back for you, but you being here maybe made my decision easier.”

“Mm, Maa-kun’s a bad liar,” he hums.  Mao starts to protest before falling silent, his own arm sliding around Ritsu to pull him into a hug.  “Welcome home.”

“Yeah,” Mao’s voice sounds a little choked as he hugs Ritsu tighter, clinging to his shirt.  “Thanks.” 

Ritsu smiles and kisses Mao’s forehead, letting himself enjoy the warmth and the closeness and hoping that this is just the first of many moments they’ll be able to share.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This chapter more or less ends the set-up portion of this fic and now the real plot can begin...
> 
> 2\. Thank you all so much for the kudos and comments on the first chapter! Please feel free to share your thoughts on this one as well :)


	3. Chapter 3

It doesn't take Mao long to realize that things at Knights’ base are a lot different than what he’d been used to with Keito.  There was really no order, for one thing, and while Leo was undoubtedly their leader sometimes it seemed like he rarely made any of the decisions and usually had to be reprimanded by one of the others for doing something irresponsible.  

Somehow it worked, since Mao had seen them going out on missions and coming back successful, but from what he could tell Leo mostly ran operations from inside the base itself.  Arashi and Izumi were field agents, and given what Izumi had said about them knowing each other for longer than they’d been working here, it made sense they knew how to work as a team.  He still hasn’t seen that much of Tsukasa, though he’s guessing that as a rookie he’s probably restricted to easy missions and is spending his days in the training facility.  

They’ve got a weapons range and a regular gym down in the lower levels of the base, along with a cell that seems a lot darker and more sinister than the one Mao had been kept in when he’d first arrived.  Ritsu had taken him on a tour the first night after dinner, explaining the logistics of everything to him, though for some reason when Mao had asked what his specific job was he’d gotten really quiet and mumbled something about ‘strategy’ before changing the subject.  

That he’s their strategist is probably a given, considering his...condition and the fact that he’s undoubtedly older and wiser than everyone there, but Mao has a feeling that’s not Ritsu’s only job and he’s not sure he wants to find out the truth if the vampire’s being so evasive about what should be a simple question.  

They both decide that Mao should take it easy from field work for a while, especially since the chance of running into somebody that would recognize him from Eichi’s agency is still pretty high, and while he hates sitting around and doing nothing he can admit it’s the best choice.  

There’s another reason that’s unrelated to his own safety, though, and while nobody’s said it outright, Mao knows he’s kind of on probation at the moment.  He hasn’t proven himself to be loyal to Knights yet, so if he was sent out in an important mission and ended up betraying them, they would probably have to kill him.  

He doesn’t know if Ritsu could, at this point, but it’s not as if he has any plans to go against Knights considering it really is the only place he can go right now.  

Besides, he likes all of them...or what he’s seen of them so far...so it would be foolish of him to jeopardize that.  

So he spends his days in the weapons range, working on his aim, and running errands when they need groceries or other staples.  Izumi seems to do most of the cooking and Ritsu, despite the fact that his creations look a little frightening, is a proficient baker so for the most part they eat a lot healthier than Mao would have expected a group of twenty-something guys to do.

It’s not the most exciting life, especially for what he had assumed being an agent would entail, but it’s comfortable and he falls into a routine quickly.  

It probably helps that, despite the fact that the other members of Knights all have their...quirks...they all seem to like him well enough and he’s fairly easy-going so it’s easy for him to get along with almost anyone.  

From what he can gather, at the moment most of the groups outside of the main agency are watching and waiting to see what move Eichi makes next, but the downside of that is it means they’re not doing much of anything else.  

Ritsu’s told him a little about the other groups that are out there, though he steers away from mentioning his brother except for vague references to annoying bugs, but it sounds like Eichi’s main allies except for Keito have all deserted him.  

Mao thought that would be a positive thing, but as he’s been informed, Eichi has so much money and influence that he can hire pretty much anyone to work for him and keep them loyal by keeping their wallets fat.  

And he’d sort of known this already, but Eichi is very skilled at finding a person’s weakness and exploiting it as fully as he can.  He doesn't think Eichi has any dirt on him, mostly because Keito’s been protecting him, but he’s starting to realize more and more how good it was that he’s not there any longer.  

Maybe being Eichi’s enemy is even more dangerous than being on the same side, but Mao will take his chances for now.  

He’s thinking about it again one day when he’s out buying some groceries for dinner, at the same market he’d run into Arashi at, and while he’s standing in the checkout line he feels a slight prickling on the back of his neck that he’d learned by now never to ignore.  

He purposely leaves a loaf of bread in his basket as he settles it beneath the counter, pretending to remember a moment later and bending down to grab it and chance a look behind him without it being overly suspicious.  

Nobody stands out to him, but it’s not like an undercover agent would be out wearing a full suit and holding a gun in plain sight, so he takes note of all the people who could possibly have been watching him and tries to act as normal as possible while he pays and takes his shopping bags out of the store.  

He debates getting a cab or taking the bus or something that would lead him on a more roundabout route back to Knights’ base, but in the end settles on walking because it will be easier to tell if anybody’s tailing him that way.  

His gun is tucked safely away in the inner pocket of his jacket, so he feels reasonably secure, and while some agents might think it’s overkill to carry their weapons everywhere with them...well, better safe than sorry, and in this case he’s glad he did.  

He realizes quickly that whoever’s following him is no rookie, since if he wasn’t paying extremely close attention he would never have even noticed the quiet footfalls in time with his own.  He quickens his pace, feeling more reassured that he’s right about being suspicious when his apparent shadow does the same, and by the time he makes it back to Knights’ base he’s started to formulate a plan.  

If this guy’s with Eichi, there’s really no need to use Mao to find out where the base is, since it’s hardly a secret.  Rather, he’s assuming whoever it is wants to see what kind of defenses they have on their front door and report back to Eichi with the intent of finding a way to disarm them.  Mao doesn’t think he’s in any particular danger if that’s the case, since the guy probably wants to get in and out without being detected, but Mao’s betting the rest of Knights will have quite a few questions to ask so disabling him and taking him captive is the best course of action right now.  

Mao makes a show of looking directly up into the front door camera and then looking from side to side before sliding his body closer to the door and letting himself in.  He can’t get into the actual base without anybody else letting him in because he hasn’t earned that trust yet, but right now all he needs is to get out of sight for long enough to drop the bags and get his gun out without being seen.  

He does that in the safety of the entranceway, holding his breath and listening for any sound outside that would imply his tracker was moving closer to investigate.  If his plan worked, then the guy would have noticed him looking at the camera and would be able to tell where he needed to stand to not be seen by it, and that’s what Mao’s counting on.  

Mao squeezes himself beside the door, letting the frame shield his body, and tries to ignore the way his heart is pounding.  He’s left the door slightly ajar on purpose, mostly because it would waste valuable seconds to get it open, but it gives him a place to take cover and he sneaks forward enough that all he’ll need to do is shoulder the door open, point the gun around the corner of it, and fire.  

It also gives him a way to hear what’s happening outside since the room is fairly soundproof when the door’s sealed, but it only takes a few moments before he can hear the crunch of footsteps on the gravel outside, moving closer and then stopping.  

Mao waits for about ten seconds, calculating where the guy would be standing for Mao to be able to hear him but for him not to be picked up by the camera’s range, and hopes that his instincts are right because he’s only got one shot at this.  

He slides around the door, aiming as quickly as he can and firing, and it’s lucky the guy’s turned away from him and Mao has a clean shot at him.  He hits him in the shoulder, the impact startling him enough to drop the gun he’s pulled out from somewhere, and Mao doesn’t give him any time to recover before he charges forward and jumps on him, sending them both to the ground.  

And yeah, maybe he hadn’t thought this part through very well, but he ends up on the guy’s back and kneels right against the bullet wound, trying to stop himself from gagging at the scream of pain it produces.  

“Don’t move or the next one goes through your head,” he fumbles with the gun, hoping the threat is enough since he really doesn’t actually want to be responsible for _killing_ someone, but between the shock and the pain the guy doesn’t even seem to be attempting to fight back.  

“Isara!”

“Huh?” Mao blinks like he’s coming out of a trance, looking over his shoulder at Leo and Izumi.  “He followed me back from the store, I…”

“Good work,” Leo grins, his entire face contorting into something almost sinister.  “Bring him, Sena.  It’s been awhile since we could have some fun.”

Izumi sighs, walking over and helping Mao off before hoisting the guy up - he’s either unconscious or close to it now, so he won’t be causing them any trouble - and all but dragging him into the base.  

Mao takes a shaky breath, sitting down on the ground and staring at his gun, but he knows he’s pretty much proven his loyalty to Knights and, regardless of anything else, that can only be a good thing.

-

Or well, he’d thought it was a good thing until he’s getting ready for bed later that evening and realizes that Ritsu is nowhere to be found.  Sure, it’s nighttime so he’s more active, but he never seems to pass up the chance to cuddle with Mao so that by itself is a pretty good indication that something’s up.

Mao heads to the kitchen, thinking he could at least grab a glass of water before bed and maybe ask around if anybody else was there.  He’s almost glad to see Izumi seated at the table leafing through a file folder of papers.  

“Hey,” he crosses to the fridge, grabbing the water jug and reaching up into the cupboard for a glass.

“If you’re looking for Kuma-kun, he might be a while.  And he might want to be alone,” Izumi replies, rubbing his temples and angrily shoving the folder away.  “He always gets pretty withdrawn.”

“Huh?” Mao blinks, more than a little lost, and Izumi looks up at him in surprise.  

“You...oh.  He hasn’t told you,” Izumi realizes, biting his lip and glancing away.  “Well.  You’ll find out soon enough.”

He picks up the file and mutters a quick ‘goodnight’ before leaving the kitchen, though really all he’s done is confuse Mao even more and not make him feel any better about things.  

Mao drinks the rest of his water, leaving the glass in the sink and deciding he’s tired enough to at least try to get some sleep.  After all, he’s had a pretty busy day.

He can hear rustling in the room before he enters, and when he sees Ritsu pulling off what looks like some sort of jumpsuit that’s stained with rather suspicious dark streaks he starts to put two and two together and wonders why he didn’t see it earlier.  

“Hey.”

Ritsu grunts, crumpling the jumpsuit up and dropping it ungracefully in the clothing hamper.  His skin is even paler than normal and has a rather concerning waxy sheen to it, and he barely seems to make it to the bed before collapsing onto it like a puppet that’s just had its strings cut.  

“Ritsu?”

“Hug?” Ritsu opens his arms, his eyes fixated on the ceiling.

“Yeah,” Mao strips his shirt off and crawls onto the bed, curling himself onto Ritsu’s chest and squeaking a little when Ritsu grabs him so tightly that it almost hurts.  “Hey…”

Ritsu mumbles something into his hair, his hands clutching at Mao like he’s the only thing holding him to reality.  

“Ritsu…”

“Hug,” Ritsu repeats, sounding utterly childish, but Mao can tell he’s not doing okay and he decides to drop the questions for now.  “Make me feel human,” Ritsu whispers, nosing at his neck.  

“You are,” Mao says without thinking, because most of the time he doesn’t see Ritsu as anything other than that.  

“No.  I’m a monster,” Ritsu growls, his body starting to tremble.  

“Not to me,” Mao murmurs.  “Never to me.”

“You don’t know...you can’t…”

“You were torturing him, weren’t you?” Mao asks, trying to keep his tone from sounding too accusatory.  “That’s your job.”

“Mm,” Ritsu relaxes a little bit, obviously feeling relieved that Mao knows and isn’t judging him for it.  “Well, my official job is still strategy, but nobody else here...Ou-sama could, I think, but he might be the only one,” he chuckles darkly and nuzzles Mao’s shoulder.  “And besides, it only makes sense for me to do it since being a vampire is sometimes enough to get people to confess just because they’re afraid of what I _could_ do to them.”

“Do you...feed that way?” Mao asks, sliding one hand up Ritsu’s stomach, seeking out more skin.

“No,” Ritsu snorts.  “No, my tastes are very particular, though admittedly sometimes if there’s blood involved it’s hard for me to resist.”

“You’re pretty fussy for a somebody that _lives_ on blood, you know,” Mao teases gently, hearing Ritsu growl softly as a reply.  “Did you find anything out?”

“He’s a freelancer, I think, since he wasn’t able to tell me anything about Tenshouin directly...I honestly don’t suspect he’s ever seen him in person,” Ritsu reaches blindly for a blanket and pulls it over them.  “So there probably wasn’t much to learn.  He doesn’t have many numbers left anyway and i’m sure after you Hasumi wasn’t exactly willing to offer up more of his men for the job.”

“He only has two men of his own, so it’s not likely,” Mao admits, not counting himself since he was never really part of Akatsuki the way Kuro and Souma are.  “That makes it worse for us, though, since we have no idea who he might use.”

“Mm.  Still, I think we owe you for reacting so quickly and disabling him like that,” Ritsu lazily reaches a hand up to brush Mao’s bangs out of his eyes. “Thank you for protecting us.”

“Hey, like I said, right now this is the best place for me so I might as well earn my keep,” Mao says lightly, kissing Ritsu’s forehead.  “I promise I didn't know you would have to…”

“It wouldn’t have mattered if you did,” Ritsu cuts him off.  “I have to, and it’s better than having him report back to Tenshouin so I’m glad you managed to detain him.”

“But you’re hurting right now,” Mao counters, because even though Ritsu’s trying to act professional and unaffected he’s still shaking a little and his hands are clutching at Mao like he’s afraid he’ll disappear if he lets go.  “And that’s because of me…”

“Stop,” Ritsu's growl is a lot more sinister and not nearly as teasing this time, and Mao for maybe the first time feels the kind of fear he’d assume Ritsu would inspire in anybody unlucky enough to cross him.  

“Okay,” Mao lets his head rest against Ritsu’s shoulder, nosing gently at his neck. “But you know...Tenshouin used to have this torturer who was part of the reason people were so afraid of him.  I never met him, and a while ago he just...disappeared, but everyone said that the reason he was so terrifying was because he had no empathy.  He knew he was hurting people, but he never felt...bad, I guess, so a lot of times he went too far,” Mao frowns, something in the back of his mind wondering if the guy had just gotten out or if Eichi had...disposed of him for not meeting his expectations somehow.  He doubts that, since he was by all accounts almost _too_ good at his job, but Eichi’s highly unpredictable and the only person Mao thinks _might_ be safe around him permanently is Keito. 

“What’s your point?” Ritsu doesn’t sound amused.  

“That you feel bad,” Mao shrugs.  “That you’re supposed to be a monster, but you’re far more human than somebody like that.”

“Mm,” Ritsu sighs.  “Well.  I guess that’s one way to look at it.”

Mao hums, feeling a little down because he’s not sure if he’s helped at all.  His opinion probably means nothing in the long run to somebody as old as Ritsu.  

“Thank you for trying to cheer me up,” Ritsu eventually says.  “I’m bad at saying it, but i’m grateful.”

“I don’t think I did much, but you’re welcome,” Mao closes his eyes and lets himself rest a little more heavily on Ritsu’s chest.  

Ritsu’s hands stroke gently up and down his back, relaxing him even further.  “You do make me feel more human,” he murmurs.  “And I guess that’s all that really matters.”

“Good,” Mao pulls the blanket a little more securely around them, glad that he can do at least a little to help Ritsu feel better.  They’re still learning about each other, which means it can get awkward sometimes, but overall sharing a bed with a vampire has been a pretty good experience and Mao has a feeling that, after today especially, he won’t be leaving anytime soon.  

-

“It’s been hours,” Izumi’s pacing the kitchen, walking back and forth so rapidly that it seems like he’s going to wear a hole through the tile.  “It’s way too late…”

“I hate to admit it, but Secchan is right,” Ritsu comments from his seat at the table, lazily picking at a slice of pizza before sitting up enough to eat it.  “Something must have happened.”

“Should we send somebody out to look?” Tsukasa pipes up, fidgeting in his chair and looking awkward.  “That is, the store truly is not that far away, and after what happened to Isara-san the other day it’s entirely plausible somebody else would be sent…”

“It’s not Tenshouin,” Leo cuts him off.  “He’s not an idiot, he wouldn’t try the same thing twice.  Especially after our _friend_ reported back to him.”

Honestly, Mao was a little surprised that they had let their captive go, though he supposed none of them were really the type to kill in cold blood.  If he was a freelancer who failed, Eichi might as well have had him killed personally, but either way they all seem convinced he won’t cause them any more trouble and he hadn’t gotten enough information to be of any use to Eichi in the end.  

“I’m going,” Izumi decides, grabbing his coat from the back of one of the chairs and storming out the door, and Leo sighs heavily.  

“Newbie.  Go with him.  Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Leo addresses this to Tsukasa, and the boy nods and hurries to follow Izumi out the door.  “I didn’t want to say this in front of Sena, but…”

“You think he’s been captured,” Ritsu doesn’t sound all that concerned, though he looks up when Mao turns to him sharply.  “He’s not dead, anyway.”

“How do you know?” Mao’s guessing this is another weird vampire thing, and Ritsu’s casual shrug only confirms his suspicions.    

“Humans are fragile creatures, but they have their own warmth, and when I’m around one of them as often as I am all of you it’s easy to feel when they go cold,” he bares his teeth, though Mao doesn’t see anything funny about the situation.  “There’s nothing we can do now anyway, so there’s no sense in worrying.”

“Mm,” Leo agrees vaguely, not sounding nearly as assured to Mao’s ears as Ritsu does, but Mao supposes that Ritsu’s right.  

All they can do is wait.

-

“We have to find him!”

“We will,” Leo waves his hand, cutting Izumi off and leaning further over the computer desk.  “Rittsu, anything yet?”

“Nothing else on his phone, but that he had enough time to react and throw it away is a good thing,” Ritsu murmurs, sounding half-asleep.  “And he’s still moving.”

“Either they’re taking him a long way away or they’re going in circles to throw somebody who might be tailing them off,” Leo rests his arms on the back of Ritsu’s chair now, staring over his head.  “Let me know when the signal is stationary.”

“Will do,” Ritsu replies, his attention back on flipping through files on Arashi’s phone.  

Tsukasa and Izumi hadn’t found much besides said phone lying behind a dumpster in an alleyway somewhere between the base and the grocery store, but it was enough to confirm that something bad had happened and Arashi was likely in the hands of an enemy group right now.  

Not that Knights had any real enemies besides Eichi, from what Mao had heard, but he can tell everyone’s on-edge even if they’re trying to act calm.  

“How are you tracking him anyway?” he asks, glancing at the moving dot on the map currently up on the computer screen.  

“Contact lenses,” Leo laughs, sounding proud.  “It’s brilliant!  They’ll search him, of course, but nobody would think to look there!  And he wears them anyway so it’s even better,” he adds.  “All of us have some sort of tracking device on us when we go out, even if it’s just to the store, so maybe one day you’ll get one,” he pats Mao’s shoulder.  

“He should have one already, after what he did for us,” Ritsu grunts, glancing back at Leo.  “What more do you need him to do?”

“Ah, in time, in time,” Leo waves his hand.  “Watch the screen, Rittsu.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ritsu turns back around, drumming his fingertips against the desk, until a few minutes later he perks up.  “They’ve stopped.  I’m getting the coordinates…” he hums, typing something in as another map flashes up on the screen.  It’s a picture of some warehouses, not unlike the area they’re in, though from the position on the map it seems to be a fair distance away.  “Not the agency…”

“It doesn’t look like anywhere I’ve seen Tenshouin operate from,” Mao puts in.  “Especially since he only has Akatsuki right now and they live on-site.”

“Then who…” Leo’s brow furrows, and for the first time he looks honestly worried.  “We’ll find out.  We’ll find out and we’ll get him back.”

“I’ll go…”

“No,” Leo says firmly, glaring at Izumi and standing up to his full height. “You rush in there without knowing shit about what or who we’re dealing with and you’ll end up captured too.”

“Ou-sama, we can’t just leave him, he’s…”

“A capable agent who can take care of himself,” Leo replies.  “He’s tough, Sena.  He won’t break,” he sounds certain, though Mao thinks that Izumi looks a lot less sure.  

In fact, he’s never seen Izumi this frazzled.  It makes sense, in a way, since if the only reason Arashi had joined Knights at all was due to Izumi recruiting him, the older man might well feel responsible for what happens to him.

“But…”

“I care about him too, you know?  You’re not the only one,” Leo claps his hand onto Izumi’s shoulder, causing the other man to slump forward dejectedly.  “He’s your partner, I know, but he’s also my queen.  And _nobody_ gets away with hurting my queen,” Leo’s voice takes on that sinister tone Mao had heard from him just after capturing Eichi’s spy, and it makes a shiver go down his spine.  

Honestly, he feels sorry for whoever decided messing with Knights was a good idea.  

“Wait...there’s something...on one of the warehouses,” Ritsu’s got the image zoomed in as far as it can go, pixelated almost to the point of being unrecognizable, but there’s a tiny logo on one of the doors and Mao wonders if vampires have enhanced senses or something because there’s no way he would have seen it.  

“What is it?” Leo seems to be in a similar predicament as he squints at the secret, tilting his head like that will help it become clearer.  

“It looks like...gears?  Two gears connected to each other…”

“Fuck.  Itsuki,” Leo bites his lip, crossing his arms.  “Why the fuck would Valkyrie mess with us…he hates Tenshouin even more than I do…”

“Well, at least we have an answer,” Ritsu sounds resigned.  “And you’re not going to want to hear this, either, but the tracker just went dead.”

Izumi kicks the desk so hard Mao swears he can hear wood splintering, his hands balled into fists before he turns and dashes out of the room.  

“I’ll follow him,” Leo’s voice sounds dead as he leaves.  

“Ritsu, what…”

“If they’re smart, and Itsuki is, they’ll make sure the holding cells and torture chambers block any kind of GPS signal.  That’s all that’s happening, but…”

“But that only confirms he’s in enemy territory, huh,” Mao exhales, kneeling down beside the desk and barely managing a smile when Ritsu ruffles his hair.  

He might not know Arashi as well as the others, but he can see he brings something warm and caring to Knights that probably helps keep them human when things go wrong, and he _is_ kind of responsible for Mao coming back at all so Mao owes him a little for that.  

“They won’t get away with this.  We’ll get him back,” Ritsu doesn’t sound like he’s lying, and from what Mao has seen of Leo, he’s inclined to believe it, too.  

They’ll get Arashi back, but what state he’ll be in when that happens…

Well.  

That’s something they’ll have to find out when the time comes.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait on this chapter! My writing inspiration has been rather non-existent in the last month or so but I finally decided to work on this fic and this chapter ended up...a little longer than I had first planned! I do have parts of the next two chapters already written so hopefully the wait on those won't be as long. 
> 
> (I was actually against Arashi being captured by Valkyrie at first but [Joanna](https://twitter.com/tsunusia) convinced me and I'm very glad she did so she deserves all the credit here!)
> 
> Please feel free to leave a comment if you're enjoying this, feedback really is motivational :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning that the 'graphic depictions of violence' tag is starting to come into play here, though neither of us wanted it to be excessively graphic so hopefully if you're here for the plot it won't be too off-putting!!

He's beautiful.    
  
That probably shouldn't be the first thought he has, to be fair, but it's also not something he has a lot of control over considering how gorgeous the man he's looking at is.    
  
"Kagehira."  
  
"Oshi-san?" he reluctantly tears his eyes away from the screen, looking over his shoulder.    
  
"I want you to look after him."  
  
"Huh?" Mika blinks, because as far as he knew the guy was a prisoner, so why would he need to look after him?  "But he's..."  
  
"We need information.  He's of no use to us dead," Shu sniffs.  "And while Natsume assures me that Aoba is on our side now, I'm reluctant to trust anyone that worked for Tenshouin."  
  
"So what 'm I supposed t' do?" Mika looks back at the video feed, wondering how he's going to manage being in the same room as this guy if even seeing him on a tiny screen is making his face heat up.    
  
"Make sure he doesn't die.  Bring him food and water if he requires it and keep his wounds from getting infected," Shu looks disgusted just saying the words.  "Aoba's specialty is breaking people because he doesn't know when to stop, but that's not our goal here.  I've made that abundantly clear, but I have my doubts regardless."  
  
"Okay.  I c'n do that," Mika decides, even though he knows he'll be touching this guy a lot and that's _definitely_ going to make things more difficult.    
  
"And you know...Natsume told me that he handled his first torture session admirably, so if that sort of thing won't get him to talk, perhaps having a sympathetic ear might," he adds slowly, giving Mika a rather searching look before heading out of the room.    
  
Mika swallows heavily and sits down in a chair, not sure if he should feel happy or guilty about having Shu's permission to get closer to their prisoner.    
  
Still, it's not like anything's going to happen, and he guesses that getting information is the most important thing.    
  
Maybe he can do something useful for once.    
  
-  
  
"Hey, honey."  
  
"Huh?" Mika jumps, trying to control himself and cover up the fact that his heart has started pounding rapidly in his chest.  "Thought y' were asleep."  
  
"Ah, well, I'm afraid my bed isn't very comfortable," the man sighs dramatically and shifts his back against the wall, grimacing at the action.  "What's your name, darling?"  
  
"Uh.  Mika," he mumbles, not seeing any reason to lie.  "D'you need anythin'?  I'm s'posed t' take care of you."  
  
"Take care of me, hmm?  Well I can think of a few things you could do," he winks rather roguishly, hoisting his body up by the cuffs his wrists are locked into.    
  
Mika squeaks and looks away, hating how obvious he's being.  No, the guy's not being serious, but he's still flirting pretty hard and Mika doesn't have a lot of experience reacting to that kind of thing.    
  
"Arashi, by the way," he adds, causing Mika to look at him again.  "And thank you."  
  
"Fer what?"  
  
"Well, if I have your visits to look forward to every day this might be more bearable," he replies, leaning his hand back against the wall.  He looks tired, his arms shaking a little from being forced up and held above his head.    
  
"Tell me if y' need food or water or somethin'," Mika grunts, trying to sound as impersonal as he can.  Arashi's probably just flattering him to get Mika to feel sorry for him and let him out, so he can't take it personally.    
  
"Ooh, just like staying in a luxury hotel!" he exclaims with false enthusiasm.  "Don't I feel special, having a cute boy attend my every whim."  
  
Mika knows his cheeks are red and he moves forward cautiously, trying to see how bad Arashi's back looks since he's obviously trying not to lean against the rough stone wall.    
  
"It's not pretty, honey," Arashi shifts forward as much as he can, the chains around his ankles clinking when he tries to move his feet.  Mika bites his lip and tries not to gag when he sees the ruined fabric of Arashi's once-pristine dress shirt, streaked with blood and ripped in ways that force the tattered strips into the wounds on his back.  It looks like he's been whipped through his shirt and Mika can't even imagine how much pain he must be in.  "I'm fine.  Really."  
  
"Well, if it gets any worse 'm gonna hafta clean you up," he decides, and up close he can see how hard Arashi's fighting to keep this cheery facade up.  "I'll bring y' some food later, okay?"  
  
"Okay," he whispers, his shoulders slumping like he can't pretend anymore.  "I'll be waiting to see your adorable face again."  
  
Mika bites his lip and nods, turning away and quickly leaving the cell before his sympathy gets the better of him.    
  
The guy's their enemy.  He can't think of him as anything other than that.    
  
-  
  
"Sora doesn't think he's a bad person."  
  
"Y' don't?"  Mika looks at the kid...young man, really...in surprise. "Weren't you the one who caught 'im?"    
  
"Mm, Master told Sora to, so Sora did," he nods.  "But Sora can read people, and he feels...sad.  Confused.  His colour is pale," Sora frowns.  
  
"Y' think we have the wrong guy?" Mika's heart leaps a little at that, mostly because if it's true then maybe his feelings aren't _quite_ so dangerous.  It's been about five days now, five days of Mika having to suppress his feelings even while he's helping Arashi do some pretty intimate things.  Feeding him has been okay, mostly, but he also has to stand guard while he relieves himself and that's something he wasn't really prepared for.  And then there's trying to keep him clean and while Mika thinks his back is as good as it's going to get for now, that only seems to be an invitation for Tsumugi to focus on another area of his body the next time one of their 'sessions' happens.  Luckily he hasn't gone below Arashi's waist yet but Mika thinks that it's only a matter of time.  "But...if he doesn't know anythin', why doesn't he jes say so?"  
  
"Master and the others won't listen to Sora when Sora tells them that, so why would they listen to a prisoner?" Sora points out, and Mika can see the logic in that.  Truth be told he has no real issue with Tenshouin himself besides hating him on principle because Shu does, but Shu and Natsume and Tsumugi are really, really angry and there's not much Mika and Sora can do being outnumbered like that.    
  
"We hafta do somethin'," Mika decides, reaching out to rest his fingers on the monitor screen.  "He's gettin' worse."  
  
"Sora will stay here if Mika-chan-san wants to go see him," Sora offers, and Mika knows it's not really time to bring Arashi food or water or medicine yet but _something's_ telling him he needs to go regardless.    
  
"Thanks.  Yer a good kid," Mika ruffles Sora's messy hair on the way by and hurries out of the control room, making his way to the cell and pushing open the door.    
  
Arashi barely looks at him, eyes glassy and staring forward like he's in a trance.  His shirt might as well not exist now from how ripped and stained it is, and Mika can see that there are darkening bruises all over his torso and what looks like burn and slash marks on his arms and trailing down to his hips.    
  
"Hey," he murmurs, stepping closer hesitantly.  "Arashi?"  
  
"Mika?" Arashi blinks, lifting his head with an obvious effort.  "Hi, honey.  Didn't think it was time for your visit yet," he coughs weakly and tries to smile.    
  
"I thought...y' looked really bad, so..."  
  
"Better now that you're here," he says, and there's a genuine warmth in his voice that makes Mika feel tingly all over.  "I guess I wasn't wrong when I said you visiting would make things bearable."  
  
"D'you need anything?" Mika asks quietly, reaching out before he can stop himself and brushing Arashi's matted hair back.  Mika thinks Shu probably order Tsumugi to stay away from his face because that might be the one part of his upper body that's not injured.  It's not that surprising, given Shu's reluctance over marring anything beautiful, especially since anybody would be able to see how stunning Arashi is.  The other man freezes at the action, his breath catching in his throat, and Mika pulls away.  "Sorry."  
  
"No.  Thank you," Arashi closes his eyes and slumps forward, letting the cuffs around his wrists hold his weight.    
  
"Fer..."  
  
"For reminding me that not every touch has to hurt," his voice is barely loud enough to be heard and Mika crouches down, reaching out again and gently stroking his hair.  "I can't..."  
  
"Yer gonna be okay," Mika says, something in his stomach starting to burn with determination.    
  
"No," Arashi lets out a bitter laugh.  "No, i can't tell you what you want...no matter what..." he sighs.  "Maybe I'll see him again there...ask him why he left me..." his voice is dream-like, eyes slipping out of focus again like he's seeing somebody that isn't there.  "Maybe..."  
  
And Mika has no idea what he's talking about but it's scaring him because it feels like Arashi's giving up.  He doesn't blame him, really, since he must be in incredible pain, but Mika isn't willing to let him go like this.    
  
" 'm gonna go talk to Oshi-san, okay?" he brushes the back of his hand across Arashi's brow, feeling how clammy his skin is.  "Yer gettin' sick."  
  
"Mm," Arashi just kind of grunts, pushing his head against Mika's hand.  "Mika?  Can you let me out for a minute?"  
  
"Uh.  I c'n prob'ly let your hands free?" Mika knows he shouldn't, but with how weak Arashi is right now Mika thinks a strong gust of wind could probably knock him over so there's not really any danger to him.  "Gimme a sec.  I'll get the key."  
  
He stands up, heading outside the cell and walking down the hallway a bit.  He has the key in his pocket, like he's had it all along, but he still doesn't trust Arashi enough to reveal that and let him know it's always there when he's in the cell.    
  
When he thinks it's been enough time for him to have gone into another room and found the key he comes back, once again struck by just how bad Arashi looks.  He's starting to shiver a little, his arms shaking from the weight of holding his body upright.    
  
"Okay," he walks closer, undoing the cuffs, and Arashi basically collapses in on himself now that he doesn't have to be forced upright.  "Uh."  
  
"Mika?  Can you sit on my lap?" he's almost whispering, and Mika doesn't think that's a good idea, but...  
  
But Arashi's dying.  He can't really deny that anymore, no matter how much he wants to.  And he's far too weak to say no to somebody when they're this desperate.    
  
Mika settles himself carefully, trying to stay on Arashi's legs where he's not injured, and he squeaks a little when Arashi wraps him up in the tightest hug he can manage in his weakened state.  His shoulders are trembling and Mika's sure he would be crying if he had been able to.  "Thank you."  
  
" 'm gonna help you," Mika promises, knowing that his own feelings are getting in the way but...but Sora seems sure that Arashi's not the person they're looking for, and if he can't trust himself, at least he can trust a kid who has the ability to read auras like that.  "We're gonna figure this out."  
  
Arashi tucks his head under Mika's chin, his shivers starting to calm now, and Mika doesn't think his heart can take any more of this.  "You can hug me back," he whispers softly.    
  
" 'm gonna hurt ya if I do," Mika replies, since there's not really anywhere he can touch that's not injured somehow.    
  
"You can't hurt me worse than I'm hurt already," Arashi replies, so Mika slowly returns the embrace, resting his arms over Arashi's shoulders.  "Mika..."  
  
"Mm?"  
  
"I don't want to die," Arashi sounds incredibly vulnerable.  "I don't...I don't know how much more of this I can take, but I don't want to die."  
  
"Yer not gonna," Mika says firmly.  "I promise."  
  
"God, I probably stink and you're still sitting here," Arashi laughs softly, and while Mika doesn't want to say anything...yeah, considering he's covered in blood and sweat and dirt and hasn't had a bath for almost a week, he does.  "You're a saint."  
  
"Nah, not really," Mika runs his fingers along the nape of Arashi's neck, stroking slowly.  " 's that okay?"  
  
"Mm," Arashi hums.  "I...I'm exceptionally stubborn, you know, and I'd never betray my team, but I'm not lying about not knowing anything.  That's all I can tell you."  
  
"I believe you," Mika assures him, and at this point he honestly does.  "Lemme talk to Oshi-san and then I'll be back, okay?  've gotta lock you back up, though."  
  
"Yeah," Arashi doesn't seem to want to let go so Mika lets the embrace linger for a few more seconds.  "You know..."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Never mind," he sighs heavily.  "Not worth thinking about now.  Maybe I'll tell you later."  
  
"Okay," Mika's a little curious, of course, but now's probably not the time to be having that conversation anyway.  "Here, gimme your hand."  
  
"Can't.  I can't lift it," he sounds a little ashamed.    
  
" 's fine," Mika isn't really surprised about that either since Arashi had basically been hanging from his wrists for the past week.  He gently unwinds Arashi's arms from his waist, lifting them up to lock them back into the cuffs.  "I won't be long."  
  
Arashi nods, starting to shiver again, and Mika tells himself not to look back as leaves the cell because otherwise he's never going to get out of there.    
  
-  
  
"You make a good point, Kagehira."

“I do?” Mika blinks, a little surprised that Shu had agreed without much convincing on his part.  “I...I mean…”

“ _Non,_ ” Shu waves his hand, cutting off his stammering.  “Perhaps I’ve let my grudge against Tenshouin cloud my vision, but while the thought of admitting my informant was incorrect is...troubling, certainly, I can hardly believe anybody would be so _loyal_ to that man as to protect him this way.”

“I really don’ think he knows anythin’, Oshi-san,” Mika sighs, slumping over the  table and dropping his chin onto his folded arms.  “ ‘n I c’n tell he’s not gonna last much longer.”

“Our job isn’t to kill him,” Shu frowns, stroking his chin thoughtfully.  “That was never the point.”

“He can’t take another one o’ Tsumugi-chan-san’s sessions,” Mika says firmly, even though the words physically hurt.  “He’s strong, but…”

“The fact that he’s taken as much as he has without breaking is incredible, quite frankly,” Shu crosses his arms and stares blankly across the kitchen.  “If your call is that we need to remove him from the dungeon and work on keeping him alive, then I’ll heed it.” 

“He could barely move before so I don’t think he’s gonna give us any trouble,” Mika perks up at Shu’s words, knowing that he’s one step closer to getting Arashi safe.  

“And Natsume’s child believes he’s not a threat as well?” Shu leaves the room with purposeful strides, so quickly that Mika has to stand up and rush out after him to keep up.  

“Sora-chan?  Yeah, he says that Ara- that the prisoner’s aura is more confused ‘n anythin’,” Mika nearly trips over his feet, blushing at the annoyed glare Shu levels back at him.

“You think he’s beautiful,” Shu says after a moment of staring at him, and Mika stutters and waves his hands and doesn’t really say anything to counter that point.  “He is.  That’s why it’s a shame…” Shu sighs.  “Regardless, I know you’re not the type to be so blinded by beauty that you’d put me in danger, so I can only assume what you’ve told me is the truth.”

Mika lets out a breath he hasn’t realized he’s been holding, feeling an immense sense of relief that Shu’s not changing his mind.  

“Come,” Shu starts walking again and Mika follows, though by the time they make it to the dungeons he’s starting to feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up like something’s _wrong_ and it’s making him even more anxious.  “What…”

Mika darts forward, catching the rather ominously-swinging door of Arashi’s cell, and a look inside confirms his worst fears because it’s empty. 

Arashi didn’t escape, as much as Mika might wish that were the case right now.  He’s far too weak and Mika still has the key to his shackles in his pocket, but if he didn’t leave by himself and the alarm was never triggered, that meant…

Shu lets out a burst of rather uncharacteristically colorful language in what Mika can only assume is French, given that he doesn’t understand a word of it, but the older man turning in the direction of the torture chamber basically confirms his worst fears.  

“Stay here.  You don’t need to see him…” Shu pats Mika’s shoulder before huffing in annoyance and striding as quickly as he can down the hall without breaking into a no-doubt undignified run.  

Mika, for his part, couldn’t have gone anywhere even if he’d have wanted to, and before he’s even aware of it happening he sinks into a crouch, clapping his hands over his ears and trying to block out everything.  

His own imagination is supplying enough of what could be happening anyway, and he _knows_ the torture chamber is soundproof, but…

But if he had to hear it...if he had to hear Arashi screaming in pain - and he knows he has been, since his voice has gotten a lot hoarser over the last couple of days - he doesn’t know...he doesn’t…

“Mika-chan-san?”

“Sora-chan?” he looks up, thankful for the distraction.  “He...he…”

“He’s alive,” Sora pats his head.  “Sora can tell.  It’s not good, but he’s alive.”

“Thank you,” Mika gets to his feet, staggering a little because his legs almost feel too wobbly to support him.  

“You’ll take care of him, right?” Sora asks quietly, and Mika forces himself upright and stands to his full height.  

“Yeah.  Don’t worry,” he nods, though the crippling fear almost takes over him again when he hears footsteps outside the cell.  

“Kagehira!”

“Oshi-san?” he sprints out, his stomach dropping rather alarmingly at the sight that greets him.  “Oh, fuck…”

“Where should I take him?” Shu’s holding Arashi in his arms, and what scares Mika the most is that Arashi isn’t unconscious so much as just plain _unresponsive._ His eyes are half-closed and glazed over, his chest rising and falling rapidly with shallow breaths, but what makes Mika’s blood almost boil is that his pants, which had previously been left alone, were now hanging off of him in ragged strips and all Mika can see underneath is _blood._ “Kagehira!”

“Uh!” Mika snaps to attention, trying to block out the sight in front of him because he’s going to be sick for sure if he thinks about it too much.  “Take ‘im to my bathroom.  ‘Ve gotta clean him up b’fore anythin’,” he decides, his voice only trembling a little.  

“Right.  Come on, then,” Shu starts heading toward his room, his boots leaving bloody prints on the floor.  “I’m going to _murder_ Aoba for this...no, I’ll get Natsume to do it for me...he’d enjoy it…” Shu’s obviously livid, carrying Arashi like he weighs nothing, and when he gets to Mika’s bedroom he heads into the bathroom and lays Arashi gently down in the tub.  “Don’t let him die.  Whatever group he’s with....us capturing him might be bad enough, but if he’s dead…” 

“I understand, Oshi-san.  ‘m not gonna let ‘im,” Mika vows.  

“Get the boy to fetch you supplies if you need them,” Shu’s voice softens a little.  Mika looks up at him, normally pristine clothing covered in blood and a streak of red smeared across his cheek, and he _knows_ that if Arashi dies...they’re all dead.  

“I won’t let you down,” he vows, getting the barest smile from Shu before he turns sharply on his heel and walks out.  

“I’m going to find Natsume and then we’ll have a _talk_ with Aoba,” Shu calls back over his shoulder, and then Mika’s left alone.  

Well, he thinks with a tiny glance at Arashi, not _alone,_ but for how much life Arashi seems to have left in him right now he might as well be.  

No.

He can’t think like that.  

He’s got a job to do, and as long as he focuses on doing it one step at a time, he’ll be fine.  

...he hopes.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *starts running away*
> 
> If you want to find either of us on twitter I'm at [_mikarashis](https://twitter.com/_mikarashis) and Joanna is at [tsunusia](https://twitter.com/tsunusia).


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing Arashi notices when he wakes up is that he’s warm.  That by itself doesn’t make much sense, given that the last thing he remembers is…

Well.  

He’d rather not dwell on that.  

He’s also lying down, which is just as strange, and when he tries to stretch out he realizes he _can._ His first thought is that somehow he’s been rescued, even though he’s fairly sure that’s not possible since staging a recovery mission is one thing but doing it while he’s down in the torture chamber is something else entirely.  They would have set off alarms or something, he reasons, and he hadn’t heard anything before passing out.  

Or, well, maybe he’s dead.  Maybe he’s in the afterlife right now and it’s warm and safe and free from pain, which quite honestly wouldn’t be the _worst_ thing he could imagine.  

Still, he won’t know unless he actually looks around, so he cracks one eye open experimentally and is met by a fairly average-looking wall.  There are posters on it, he realizes as his gaze travels up, and they’re all of strange, creepy creatures that definitely convince him he’s _not_ in the afterlife.  

He can feel something pulling when he shifts his arm and pushes the blanket back enough to look down at his body, bile churning in his stomach when he realizes he can see more bandages than skin.  His entire torso is wrapped up, along with both arms down to his wrists, and he can see patches of gauze on his thighs.  Everything below his knees looks untouched and he sits up cautiously, feeling a little stiff but amazingly not in too much pain.  

He lets himself lean back against the headboard, closing his eyes and sighing.  He’s not afraid, which is probably saying something in and of itself, but he’s confused and curious and hopes that he gets some answers soon since he’s not ready to try walking anywhere yet.  

“I’ll be right over, ‘ve just gotta check on…hey!”

“Mika-” he’s cut off by Mika practically jumping on him, apologies flying from his lips a moment later as Arashi laughs and tries to reassure him that it didn’t hurt.  “Honey, what…”

“Yer awake!” Mika babbles, his words turning incoherent as he starts crying, and Arashi tugs him closer and holds him tightly.  “I thought y’...I thought…”

“Shh, sweetheart, breathe,” Arashi urges softly.  “I’m okay.”

“No.  No, y’ weren’t...we went back t’ get you but y’ were already…” Mika takes a shaky breath, his words coming out a little clearer when he speaks again.  “Y’ were jes’ out of it, y’know?  There was so much blood, I...I don’ even remember bringin’ you back here, but I knew I had t’ get you cleaned up and warm and it was like y’ were awake but not really _here_.”

“I’m sorry I made you worry,” Arashi murmurs.  “But thank you for helping me.”

“Of course I…” Mika stops, blushing a little and looking away.  “Uh.  We can’t jes’ let y’ go, but y’ c’n stay in my bed fer now,” he mumbles.

“Well, I think that’s a pretty generous compromise,” Arashi admits with a low chuckle, frowning a little at the glare Mika gives him.  “What?”

“Y’ c’n stop actin’ now.  ‘M not gonna let anyone hurt you either way,” he says coldly, pulling away a little.  

“Acting?” Arashi blinks.  “Acting how?”

“Pretendin’ y’ like me.  Flirtin’ with me,” Mika replies.  “Y’ were jes doin’ it t’ get me t’ feel sorry fer ya, right?  I’m jes a weird kid with weird eyes so no way somebody like you could…” he stops and shakes his head.  

And Arashi doesn’t know why, but for some reason he starts laughing like he can’t stop.  It _hurts,_ but it’s the first time he’s been able to laugh in _days_ and he can feel tears in the corners of his eyes by the time his mirth finally calms down.  “Mika...Mika-chan, honey, I wasn’t lying!” he says with as much honesty as he can get into his voice.  “I’ll admit in the beginning I was thinking that way, but the more I got to see you, the more I realized that I really _do_ think you’re adorable.”

“Really?” Mika sounds unsure.  “I mean, I’m jes...”

“I think your eyes are beautiful,” Arashi reaches to cup his face, staring at him intently so Mika can’t try to duck his head away.  “That’s what I was going to tell you back in the cell - that I was starting to realize I wasn’t just trying to flirt with you for selfish reasons anymore, but because I actually _like_ you.”

“But yer…” Mika gestures vaguely and Arashi looks down.  

“Damaged,” Arashi whispers, wondering when exactly the reality will hit him.  He can’t tell how bad it’s going to be with the bandages, but he knows he’ll never look the same and really, his looks were all he had going for him.  

“When I saw you I thought y’ were the mos’ beautiful person I’d ever seen,” Mika says quietly.  “I was glad that I got a chance t’ get close t’ you.”

“Mm, yeah, feeding me porridge and helping me piss are so romantic,” Arashi replies, smiling when Mika starts to laugh at that.

“It didn’ matter, y’know?  I jes wanted t’ spend more time with you,” Mika rests his head against Arashi’s shoulder.  “And ‘m real sorry.  Oshi-san told me that...uh, we got information that y’ were one of Tenshouin’s guys and it was from a source he trusted, I guess, so he never thought about not believin’ it.  But yer not, right?”

“I have a feeling my King hates Tenshouin as much as your Oshi-san does,” Arashi frowns, because it sort of adds up and it explains why none of them would believe him when he said he didn’t know anything.  If Eichi had wronged these people half as badly as he’d done to Leo...well, he doesn’t blame them for not being gentle.  

“So we’re on the same side?” Mika’s voice takes on a rather hopeful lilt that Arashi has to smile at.  

“It seems that way.  I...my King’s going to be mounting a rescue mission, but hopefully I can make him see reason before his bloodlust takes over,” he sighs, because Leo when he’s angry is like a berserker who won’t stop until every enemy around him is cut down.  It’s why Knights is so feared, really, because Leo’s terrifying when he’s enraged and the fact that they have an actual vampire on their team too means that very few people want to mess with them.  “I won’t let him hurt you,” he promises softly.  

“I believe you,” Mika nods, yawning rather adorably.  “Mm.”

“How long was I out?” Arashi asks, letting his hands run through Mika’s messy hair.  

“Uh, prob’ly a day or so?  I haven’t really slept since I was tryin’ t’ keep an eye on you but...you should rest more,” he says then, suddenly all-business.  “Rest and then when y’ wake up again I c’n check yer bandages and get y’ some food…”

“Okay, okay,” Arashi nods, since rest sounds like a good idea.  “Sleep with me?”

And Mika goes beet-red at that, making the most endearing whining noise.  

“God, you’re cute,” Arashi pulls him in and clings to him.  “Please stay with me?”

“Uh-huh,” Mika manages to squirm out of his grasp, rearranging the blanket and helping Arashi to lie down again.  “ ‘m not gonna leave.”

Arashi gets comfortable, rolling onto his side and lifting one arm in invitation.  Mika curls against his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist, and Arashi is a little overwhelmed at just _how_ warm and safe he feels with this boy in his arms.  

“I’m real glad y’ woke up,” Mika says into his shoulder.  

“I think I am, too,” Arashi's eyes slide closed, his body still needing to rest and recover, but this time he falls asleep knowing he’ll wake up feeling better.  

It’s a lot better than not knowing whether he’ll wake up at _all_ , so at least he can be grateful for that.  

-

The next time he wakes up, he’s just as warm and just as comfortable, though maybe even more than he was before considering Mika’s still in his arms.  

He doesn’t look like he’s sleeping entirely soundly, eyelids flickering like he’s on the verge of waking up at any second, and maybe Arashi’s still half-asleep or maybe the painkillers are clouding his judgment, but he _really_ wants to kiss Mika right now and he can’t think of any particular reason why he shouldn’t.  

So he does.  

Mika squeaks into his mouth, though Arashi’s initial fear that he’d majorly misinterpreted everything and seriously fucked up is appeased when the other man clumsily kisses him back.  

“Arashi…” Mika pulls away, sounding breathless.  “Uh…”

“Come back here,” Arashi tugs him closer and kisses him again, running his hands up into Mika’s hair.  Mika’s still touching him carefully, like he’s afraid he’s going to hurt him, but if that means Arashi has to take the initiative here then it’s not so bad.  

“Mm,” Mika’s blushing when they separate the next time, his cheeks a rather adorable shade of red.  “Please tell me y’ didn’ jes do that t’ say thank you.”

“Well, I _am_ thanking you,” Arashi replies, kissing Mika’s forehead.  “But no.”

“Good,” Mika yawns, tucking his head under Arashi’s chin, and the smile on his face is honestly making Arashi feel about a million times better.  “Sleep more.”

“Yeah,” Arashi laughs, though for some reason he’s not that tired anymore and he’s thinking that he could quickly become addicted to Mika’s mouth.  “Kiss me again?”

Mika grumbles rather adorably, though he does pull back enough to do it.  His hands are resting gently against Arashi’s chest, fingers curled into the soft pajama top he’s wearing.  “Y’ need rest,” he murmurs, nudging his nose against Arashi’s.  “Y’ need t’ heal.”

“This _is_ healing,” Arashi replies, and he’s not even being flirty this time...well, not entirely, because Mika’s so warm and careful with him that it’s starting to push all the bad things to the back of his mind.  He can store them away, eventually, when they’re not so raw, but…

But he _loves_ human contact.  He loves being able to touch people and show affection, especially with those he’s close to, and besides Mika the only thing he’s felt from another person in the last week has been pain.  

“Am I really helpin' you?” Mika’s still pressed against him, sharing breath and staring into his eyes, and Arashi nods.  “Okay.  Good.  How’re y’ feelin’?”

“A little hungry, actually,” Arashi admits now that he’s focusing on it.  “And sore, but I guess that’s kind of obvious.”

“Wanna sleep more first or should I get some food?” Mika’s hands trail down his sides, sliding around his waist in a light hug.  “Or uhh...wanna cuddle?”

“Honestly, yeah. Cuddling sounds nice,” Arashi chuckles, half-closing his eyes and feeling at peace for the first time in...well, too long.  “Mika…”

“Yeah?”

“Am I…” he swallows, really not wanting to ask this, but he needs to know for his own sanity.  If he has this given to him only to have it snatched away again… “How long am I staying here?”

“Uh...I need t’ talk t’ Oshi-san,” Mika replies softly.  “But I’m guessin’ he’ll wanna talk to this King of yours soon.”

“No, I mean…” he frowns, because the words aren’t forming the way he wants them to and he feels weak because of it.  “Are you sending me back to the dungeon?” he finally gets out, barely above a whisper.  

“No!” Mika says it too loudly, blushing a little after the word slips out.  “No.  No, yer gonna stay right here until we figure this out,” he looks determined and Arashi has no doubt that he means it.  “Yer not our enemy, after all, so there’s no reason t’ treat you like a prisoner anymore.”

“Thank you,” Arashi flops back against the pillow, feeling immensely relieved.  Maybe this wasn’t too good to be true after all.  “Now, come cuddle.”

“Yeah,” Mika smiles and snuggles against him again, and even though Arashi had said he didn’t want to sleep, his body obviously has other plans and he's out only a few seconds later.  

-

“No.”

Mika looks up, alarm bells going off in his head at the frantic way Shu says the word.  “I…”

“You’re certain he said ‘King,’” Shu presses, and Mika doesn’t even feel that offended that Shu’s questioning his hearing because whatever he’s said has obviously touched a nerve.  

“Yeah, he said it a couple of times,” Mika nods, leaning back against the table in their communal kitchen.  “What's wrong?”

“How could I have been so foolish?” Shu hisses, bracing his hands on the counter and arching his body forward.  “How could he...damn that Tenshouin! I know he’s behind this!” he straightens up and starts pacing the length of the kitchen, up and down repeatedly, and Mika knows he’s upset now because Shu _never_ swears unless he’s really angry.  

“Y’ think he did it on purpose to…”

“Of course he did!  If he gets his enemies to take each other out, there’s no need to get his hands dirty!” Shu stops walking then, his shoulders slumping.  “This boy...he must be a new recruit.  I know Tsukinaga well enough and while we never particularly _liked_ each other, I wouldn’t voluntarily cross him.  And his Knights...Sena and Rei’s brother were the only ones left with him when they fled the Agency…” he’s taking mostly to himself now since Mika has no idea who any of these people are.  

Well, that’s kind of a lie, since he knows who Rei _is_ , but he’s never met him personally and he didn't know he had a brother.  

“We have to proceed with caution,” Shu crosses his arms, lips turned down into a frown.  

“He said that his King’s gonna come rescue him, but that he can prob’ly get ‘im t’ calm down enough not t’ hurt us,” Mika decides that’s safe, even though Arashi had really only guaranteed his own safety.  

“That all depends on if he gives us any time to explain,” Shu groans, starting to pace again, and Mika’s never really seen him this frazzled so it’s making him nervous.  

“Is it that bad?” Mika’s almost afraid to ask with the way Shu’s acting, like a caged animal who wants nothing more than to flee.  

“It’s not good,” Shu finally stops moving, deciding to collapse rather dramatically into one of the kitchen chairs.  “But for the moment I suppose we can hardly do much but wait for the incoming rescue party.”

“He seems pretty loyal to this King guy, and he’s not a bad person, so I don’t think anybody he’s willin’ to protect so fiercely would be bad, either,” Mika pouts and sits down beside Shu, crossing his arms.  

“Oh, Tsukinaga’s not a bad person...not in the way Tenshoun is,” Shu amends.  “But he protects his own, and depending on what piece we’ve captured, things could get ugly.”

“Piece?” Mika blinks, since Arashi hadn’t mentioned anything like that.  

“Chess pieces.  They’re all assigned one,” he replies vaguely.  “Did he…”

“Nah, jes’ called this guy his King,” Mika shrugs.  “I c’n ask…”

“No,” Shu waves a hand idly.  “No, best to let him think we know nothing about Knights and wait to see if he volunteers anything else on his own.”

“Okay,” Mika nods, and since Arashi hasn’t exactly been tight-lipped now that he seems to trust Mika, he thinks that might actually be what ends up happening.  

“Go back to him, if you wish.  I shall try to figure out the best way to keep us all alive after Tsukinaga decides to pay us a visit,” he grunts, striding out of the kitchen quickly with his long legs.  

Mika isn’t reassured, of course, but if he sticks by Arashi things will probably turn out okay.

-

“I feel like a coward.”

“Nah, ‘s okay,” Mika runs his fingers through Arashi’s hair, scrubbing at it until it’s shining golden again.  “I’ll get y’ some more painkillers once we’re done and yer wrapped up again, okay?”

“Thank you,” Arashi sighs, leaning back against the edge of the tub and pointedly staring at the ceiling.  “I know one day I’ll have to look but the longer I can keep putting it off…”

“I mean, I’m lookin’ at y’ all the time ‘n I still think yer hot,” Mika mumbles, knowing he shouldn’t be embarrassed about saying that anymore but feeling a little nervous nonetheless.  

“You’re special, Mika-chan,” Arashi hums.  Mika’s noticed he’s been doing that lately, adding -chan to his name affectionately, and it makes him feel all warm and tingly inside.  

“Uh.  Is there anythin’ y’ want me t’ call you?  Like a special name,” he clarifies, since it doesn’t hurt to ask.

“Oh!  Most people don’t listen when I tell them, so I didn’t think...well, my last name’s Narukami, if that gives you any ideas,” he smiles when Mika goes back to rubbing his scalp.

“Naru...Naru-chan?” he ventures softly, and it feels _right_ on his tongue.  

“Mm, I like that,” Arashi murmurs, reaching for Mika’s hand and letting their fingers tangle together.  

“Good.  I do, too,” Mika gently guides him back under the stream of water to wash the conditioner out of his hair, taking care not to let any drip into his eyes.  “How’re y’ feelin’ otherwise?”

“Sore,” Arashi replies, wrinkling his nose.  “It’s fine until the pills start to wear off, but I’m definitely feeling a little better than I was a few days ago.”

“Good.  Tsumu-chan-san was never really tryin’ t’ kill you, y’know?” Mika turns the tap off, reaching beside him for a fluffy towel.

“The last day it sure seemed like it,” Arashi’s eyes are still closed, his brow furrowed like he’s remembering unpleasant things.  “I think my brain shut down or something, I just...the pain made me space out completely.”

“It’s prob’ly a good thing, since y’ were pretty easy to handle when I was fixin’ you up,” Mika towels his hair dry, laughing when it spikes up a little and Arashi huffs in annoyance.  “But he’s not gonna hurt y’ again.  I won’t let ‘im,” he promises.  

“I know.  Nobody’s disturbed me here so far so I feel safe,” Arashi accepts Mika’s help to get out of the tub, standing on shaky legs and still not looking down or toward the mirror as he dries off what he can without having to move too much.  

Mika rushes out to grab the first aid kit, unrolling some bandages and taking out the antiseptic tube.  “Y’ want the painkillers first?”

“That’s going to sting like hell otherwise, so probably,” Arashi sinks down onto the plush bathmat, leaning his head against the cabinets under the sink.  He looks exhausted just from the little moving around that he did and Mika hurries to the kitchen to grab the pills and a glass of water.  

Arashi gives him a grateful smile when he returns, downing the pills and sighing as he swallows almost all of the water with them.  “Give me a few minutes so they start to work?” he asks, reaching to put the glass on the vanity and freezing when it brings his arm past his head.  

“What-...” Mika stops, reaching to grab the glass before it shatters because Arashi seems to have lost the ability to hang onto it.  “Shit.”

“I…” Arashi looks down, biting his lip and obviously trying not to cry.  “I knew it was bad, but…I wasn’t thinking, I didn’t want to see yet…”

“Hey,” Mika hesitates for a second before tossing a towel over Arashi’s lap and climbing onto it, trying to distract him.  “I know it looks bad right now, but most of it’s gonna heal up just fine…”

“No,” Arashi shakes his head.  “No, I...my career…” he exhales shakily. “I’m a model, Mika.  Or I was.  I guess I won’t be doing it anymore.”

“Oh,” Mika doesn’t know why that didn’t occur to him sooner, even though he’s always thought Arashi was stunning.  But Mika being able to overlook a few scars is different than modelling agencies doing the same, and he knows Arashi’s right.  

“I never wanted to be an agent,” Arashi wraps him up tightly, face buried against Mika’s neck.  “I...one of the other members of Knights is also a model and he convinced me to try it out, and I get bored easily so I thought it would be fun, I guess, for a change.  I never expected to get caught up in something like this.”

“D’you wanna see the rest, or…”

“No.  I’m going to be sick if I do,” Arashi swallows and clutches Mika even tighter.  “I guess I still have my face and my dick.  That counts for something, right?”

And Mika starts laughing before he can help himself, running his hands up into Arashi’s silky hair.  

“Mean,” Arashi sounds amused, which is better than before, but Mika still tries to get his mirth under control.  “Mika-chan’s so mean to me.”

“Nah, I mean, that’s definitely good,” Mika’s still giggling a title despite himself.  “I should really get y’ wrapped back up properly, though, if yer feelin’ up to it.”

“I mostly feel numb now, but that means the painkillers are working, so go for it,” he decides, standing with Mika’s help.  Mika spreads the towel over the toilet, giving Arashi somewhere to sit, and Arashi is back to very pointedly not looking as he does.  

“I know it doesn’t mean anythin’ comin’ from me, but I’ll always think you’re beautiful,” Mika mumbles, glancing up in surprise when Arashi takes his hand.  

“Thank you,” he murmurs, squeezing Mika’s fingers before letting him go, and while he doesn’t sound all that reassured, he’s smiling a little, and Mika feels something in his chest unknot.  

It's better than nothing, so for right now, he’ll take it.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there wasn't a whole lot of action this chapter but it seemed right to have a sort of interlude chapter so everybody got to heal a little bit!! As always, please feel free to leave a comment below! It's nice to hear what readers think and it's definitely a motivator for writing in general :)


	6. Chapter 6

He’s expecting a rescue, of course, but he doesn’t expect it to come in the middle of the night with somebody landing heavily on the bed.  His sleep-muddled brain takes a while to wake up and realize this isn’t normal, but the sound of a gunshot much too close snaps him to alertness immediately.  

“Narukami?”

“Huh?” he sits up, wincing because apparently the painkillers are wearing off, and tries to let his eyes adjust to the darkness.  “What’s going on?”

“Thank God.  We need to go.”

Arashi shakes his head, finally able to see enough that he can make out a dark shape at the end of the bed, and the lamp turning on after Mika fumbles with it helps even more.  

“Mao-chan?”

“Yeah.  I got in through the roof but somebody’s gonna notice so the sooner we bail out, the better,” Mao reaches to pat his shoulder.  “Uh…” he looks at Mika, who cowers away from him and curls against Arashi’s side.  “Is he…”

“Coming with us,” Arashi decides, because as much as he likes Mika, it’s an amateur move to leave a witness behind to squeal on them.  “We can trust him, but I’m guessing Itsuki’s going to be more forthcoming with information if there’s an incentive.”

“Are you okay to run?” Mao asks, reaching out a hand to help him out of the bed, and Arashi doesn’t miss the way his eyes fall on the bandages that are revealed under his rolled-up sleeves.  He pulls them down quickly, hoping that Mao realizes now isn’t the time, but luckily the other man doesn’t question it.  

“I can manage.  Come on, Mika,” he says firmly.  Mika gives him a hurt look, but the gun still in Mao’s hand seems to convince him it’s better to go along with it.  

Walking isn’t all that easy, considering it’s the most he’s moved around in well over a week, but he follows Mao up a flight of stairs and back onto the roof.  Mika trails behind them, his steps getting slower and slower, and Arashi turns to tell him to hurry.  

He knows something is wrong as soon as he looks at Mika, who’s terribly pale and swaying from side-to-side as he tries to move forward.  

“Naru-chan, ‘m dizzy…” Mika almost falls into his arms and Arashi can barely keep standing with the extra weight and pressure on his weakened body, but the leg of Mika’s pajama pants is soaked through with blood and he can see a spotted, uneven trail all the way down the stairs.  

“Honey…” Arashi swallows heavily, trying to tamp down his rising panic since that’s not doing any of them good right now.  He sinks down to the ground, bringing Mika with him.  “Mao-chan, did you…”

“Fuck,” Mao swears under his breath, leaning down and gingerly lifting Mika’s pants up with his gloved hands.  “I must’ve caught him with that bullet...I was following heat signals and hoping I could surprise somebody and get them to lead me to you, but I think I panicked when I saw two people in bed,” he looks embarrassed, though Arashi can’t fault him for reacting in self-defense like that.  

“Mika-chan, why didn’t you say something?  We could have carried you…” Arashi pauses, because Mika looks... _calm_ .  Certainly not like somebody that’s been shot and is in pain, which he _has_ to be, but besides seeming a little out of it from blood loss he’s not reacting at all.  

“Didn’t know.  Can’t feel it,” he admits, trying to sit up until Mao grabs his knee to hold his leg in place.  

“You can’t feel pain?” Arashi furrows his brow in confusion.  He’s heard of things like that before, vaguely, but after the last week the idea of not being able to feel any of it is making him envy Mika a little.  

“Nn, just knew somethin’ was wrong ‘cuz my vision got all fuzzy,” he slurs, flopping forward onto Arashi. “Feel sick.”

“No kidding,” Mao yanks off his tie, lifting Mika’s leg again and wrapping it around the area that seems the bloodiest.  They can’t clean it properly right now, but at least if they can stop the bleeding it’ll hold until they’re back home, Arashi figures.  

“Well, now we really can’t leave you,” Arashi sighs, stumbling to his feet and letting out a tiny squeak of pain that he hopes Mao doesn’t notice.  

Yeah.

Not being able to feel that right now would be _really_ helpful.  

“I’ll carry him,” Mao offers, which is for the best since Arashi wouldn’t be able to right now.  “We need to get going, though, before…”

The shrill sound of an alarm cuts through the night air and Mao scoops Mika up, stumbling a little before pointing to the far side of the roof and moving as fast as he can.  

It’s not going to be fun getting down, but knowing what might happen if he gets caught again spurs him on and knowing that if he makes it out he’s going _home…_

That’s all the incentive he needs.  

-

“Get me the first aid kit and a roll of bandages,” Arashi breezes into the base like nothing’s wrong, holding his head high and trying to ignore the jolts of searing pain that rip through his body with every step.  

He can’t think about that now.  Mika needs to be attended to, and no doubt he’ll be bombarded with questions that he really doesn’t want to deal with at the moment so he can’t give them a chance to start.  

“Wh-” Leo turns around, his eyes widening.  “Naru~!”

“Ou-sama.  Bandages and the first aid kit,” he repeats, snapping the words off abruptly.  “We have an injured guest.”

“Ah,” Leo nods, luckily seeming to understand this had to be their first priority.  “Newbie, go get what he’s asking for,” he says brusquely, and Tsukasa grumbles something about ‘my name isn’t ‘Newbie’, Leader…’ before complying.

“Naru-chan?” Mika mumbles, sounding half-asleep.  “Wh-”

“We’re home, Mika-chan,” he nuzzles his nose into Mika’s hair, breathing in his scent and realizing that it’s already something that calms him.  “You can sleep right away, honey, but I need to make sure the bullet didn’t hit anything dangerous...and you need to call your Oshi-san so he doesn’t think we kidnapped you.”

“Y’ kinda did,” Mika clings to him.  

“Brat,” Arashi says fondly, stumbling over to the wall at the far side of the kitchen and getting Mika to sit before all but collapsing beside him.  “Here, lift your pant-leg up…”

“Mm,” Mika tugs at it weakly, finally getting it up over his knee so Arashi can see where the bullet hit him.   His calf is a bloody mess, though from what Arashi can tell once he gets the ruined fabric of Mao’s tie undone it seems like the bullet had just clipped him and is probably lodged in his bed back at Valkyrie’s base.  

It’s ugly, since the wound runs almost the full length of his lower leg, but at least it’s a surface graze and should be easy to disinfect and wrap up.  

“You’ll be fine,” he smiles, glancing up when Tsukasa comes back.  “Thank you.”

“I’ll help,” Mao kneels down beside him, taking the bandages from Arashi’s shaking hands.

Arashi nods and lets Mao take over, leaning against Mika’s shoulder and reaching to grip his hand.  “Okay?”

“Still kinda dizzy, but yeah,” Mika suddenly sits upright and looks around, his eyes widening.  “Uh.  Am I…am I a prisoner or somethin’...?”

“No, honey, of course not,” Arashi promises.  “We couldn’t just leave you there, after all.   _I_...couldn’t leave you,” he whispers, and Mika hums happily.  

“I wanna help you get better, so ‘s okay,” Mika sighs.  “It’d have been pretty shitty for us to be split up that way.”

“Well?  Are we gonna get introductions or what?” Izumi breaks in, clearly annoyed, and Arashi looks up at him.  “You come waltzing in here with a stranger, you’re both wearing pajamas, and you’re acting like you fell in love or some shit there.  Were you at an enemy base or a luxury resort?” he huffs, and Arashi tries _really_ hard not to be offended.  

Izumi doesn’t know, and he’s using irritation to cover up his relief, but it’s still grating for him to accuse Arashi of being pampered all this time.  

“This is Mika.  He...he saved my life,” he says quietly, and he’s more and more convinced every day that Mika actually _did_.  

Mika makes a tiny croaking noise and cuddles closer, turning his face against Arashi’s neck.  

“He’s Valkyrie,” Ritsu says, not really accusing but merely stating a fact.  “Is Itsuki going to want him back?”

“Right,” Arashi sighs.  “Somebody give me a phone, Mika needs to call him before things turn into even more of a mess,” he wriggles his fingers expectantly until Izumi passes his over.  “Here, honey.”

“Mm,” Mika lifts it up, blinking blearily at the screen before tapping in a number and holding it up to his ear.  “Oshi-san?  ‘S me,” he murmurs, eyes sliding closed.  “ ‘m okay, don’t worry.  I’m with Knights.  Naru-chan’s gonna take care of me,” his voice slurs a little and Leo reaches for the phone as Mika sinks back against Arashi, everything obviously catching up with him because he’s rather soundly asleep now.  

“Itsuki!  We need to have a talk!” Leo shouts, much too loudly.  Arashi flinches back at the noise, which tells him more than anything he’s decidedly _not_ okay yet if even shouting makes him react in a negative way.  

He’s also starting to get really sore again now that the adrenaline of escaping is wearing off and he doesn’t need to worry about Mika, but he’s not willing to ask for painkillers or let the others know just _how_ badly he’s injured.  At least, not when all he really wants is food and to curl up with Mika in his own bed.  

Mao finishes up with Mika’s bandages and stands, packing the first aid kit up.  “I know he can’t feel that, but don’t let him put too much weight on it tonight, okay?”

“I’ll try, but he’s slippery sometimes,” Arashi forces a smile onto his face, nodding when Mao pats his shoulder.  “Thank you for rescuing me.”

“I’m not sure I did all that much in the end, but I’m glad you’re in one piece,” Mao replies, moving away to talk to Ritsu.  

Arashi notices that Mao had said ‘in one piece’ as opposed to ‘okay’ since it’s probably easy to tell that he’s _not_ okay, no matter how much he tries to pretend he is.  

Leo still has the phone pressed to his ear, his eyes narrowing as he listens to whatever Shu has to tell him.  “You’re damn lucky he’s alive, Itsuki, since if you had killed my queen we wouldn’t even be _talking_ because you’d be _dead_ ,” he hisses, fingers gripping the phone tightly before angrily ending the call and tossing it onto the counter.  

“What’s up?” Izumi manages to catch it before it slides into the sink, giving Leo a pointed look.  

“I’ll tell you later.  It’s not important,” Leo clears his throat, clapping his hands and turning back to Arashi.  “What _is_ important is seeing how badly you’re hurt.  So strip!” he orders, and Arashi groans, leaning his head back against the wall.  

“Ou-sama, I’m fine.  Just let me take Mika to bed, all I need is some rest…”

“Nope, not buying it.  Clothes off,” Leo reaches for his arm and Arashi flinches back, curling in on himself and hissing when it ends up pulling at all of his injuries.  “Naru?”

“Sorry,” Arashi sucks in a breath, trying to will the pain away.  It’s been too long since his last dose of painkillers and he really, _really_ needs to not be around anyone but Mika right now.  “Please.”

“Hey,” Leo kneels down, moving a lot more slowly now as he strokes Arashi’s hair.  “Not that I don’t trust you, but he _is_ Itsuki’s, y’know, so how about...one of us goes with you?  Just to see?”

“Izumi-chan, then,” Arashi decides, since Izumi’s seen him in every possible way and Arashi knows he’ll never be afraid of him.  

“Okay,” Leo leans down to kiss his forehead and Arashi feels himself relaxing, reaching out before he can help himself and only barely holding back tears at the relief he feels when Leo hugs him back.  “Shh.  It’s okay, you’re home.”

“Thank you,” Arashi pulls away, shaking Mika’s shoulder gently.  “Mika-chan?  Wake up, honey, we’re going to bed.”

“Mm, ‘kay,” Mika blinks his mismatched eyes open, letting out a tiny squeak when Izumi helps him to his feet and steadies him.  “Uh…”

“It’s okay.  You can trust him,” Arashi forces himself to stand, swaying a little and covering it by walking forward.  He makes it into his room and tries not to collapse on the bed, reaching for the buttons on his...well, Mika’s...pajama shirt and starting to slowly undo them.  

“Here we go,” Izumi guides Mika to the bed and helps him sit before turning back to Arashi, and Arashi can hear his breath catch in his throat as he shrugs the shirt off and starts to unravel the bandages around his body.  

He’s mostly come to terms with his injuries now, even though in his case that ‘mostly’ means ‘trying to detach from the reality that this is _his_ body and thinking of it as someone else’s’, but for somebody that’s used to how he looked before...yeah, it would be a surprise.  

Mika lets out a tiny murmur of concern and Arashi smiles over his shoulder, sliding his pants down and kicking them off.

“Shit,” Izumi breathes, moving closer.  “How the fuck are you not crying right now?”

“I’m trying really hard not to,” Arashi replies evenly, knowing that if he looks at Izumi and sees the pity that’s undoubtedly in his eyes he’ll start.  

“You...ah, damn, I was an asshole, huh?  With the…” Izumi trails off, sounding sheepish.  

“Implying I was just lying in bed with cute boys all day?  A little,” Arashi chuckles, shaking his head.  “That was a rather late development, but the first week or so…”

“Sorry,” he mumbles, which Arashi knows is pretty big for him to admit.  “Can I...d’you need help changing those, or…”

“Yeah.  In a minute,” Arashi shivers.  “Actually what I’d really like right now is for you to hug me, but-”

“Turn around,” Izumi’s voice cracks and Arashi can’t hold back the tears anymore; they start leaking from his eyes even though he’s not really _crying_ yet, but all it takes is for Izumi to gently embrace him before the floodgates open and he’s sobbing like his heart is breaking.  

“Fuck, Naru-kun,” Izumi’s crying, too, and while he’s being gentle Arashi _knows_ he wants to hold him tighter.

So he clings to Izumi instead, with all the strength he has.  “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again…”

“Don’t, idiot, you’re making it worse!” Izumi hiccups, kissing his shoulder.  “And don’t tell anyone this, but _maybe_ I missed your annoying ass.”

“As sensitive as always, aren’t you, darling?” Arashi laughs, cringing when it hurts, but Izumi’s somebody that’s always been there for him and that he trusts with every part of him.  “I missed you, too.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Izumi loosens his grip a little.  “Look, I’ll help you get cleaned up and then you can go cuddle your little bird over there while I make you some soup or something.”

“Such a mother,” Arashi clicks his tongue, reaching to ruffle Izumi’s hair.  “See, Mika-chan?  He’s not scary, he’s just grumpy.”

“Uh,” Mika doesn’t look convinced as he yanks the blanket over himself, but Izumi mostly ignores him as he ushers Arashi into the bathroom and fusses over him until the bandages are properly changed and clean again.  

Arashi slides back into Mika’s pajamas once they’re done, amazed that they’re still clean after everything, but even though they’re a little tight and the pants are a little short they make him feel safe.  He digs a pair of his own pajama pants out to replace the ones Mika got blood all over and pulls the covers back, passing them to him and helping Mika to get them past his injured leg.  

“Thanks.  Guess we’re wearin’ each other’s clothes now, huh?” he still sounds drowsy, but he looks relaxed enough and Arashi wastes no time getting under the blankets and cuddling up.  “Yer bed’s comfy.”

“Good.  We’ll be spending a lot of time here in the next few days if I have any say in it,” Arashi folds his body comfortably against Mika’s.  “Mm, Izumi-chan’s a good cook, so maybe we can get some meat on you,” he teases and Mika lets out a tiny huff.  

“Uh...you ‘n that guy, are you…” he starts, trailing off and shaking his head.  “Sorry.  ‘S none-a my business.”

“Oh!” Arashi realize that they must have looked pretty suspicious, even though he’s so used to being that way with Izumi he barely thinks about it anymore.  “No, no...I mean...we’ve been partners since I joined Knights, and after missions there’s usually a lot of...adrenaline to burn off, so…we’ve been intimate quite a few times, but it’s never been more than that.  He’s my best friend and I love him, but not in _that_ way,” he promises, wrinkling his nose at the thought of actually _dating_ Izumi.  

“None o’ my business if y’ do, I guess,” Mika mumbles, shying away a bit, so Arashi pulls him closer and kisses him.  “No fair.”

“Every time I think you can’t get more adorable you go and prove me wrong.  You’re jealous,” Arashi grins, tapping his finger against Mika’s nose.

“Am not!”

“It’s cute,” Arashi promises, kissing him again.  “But trust me, you’re important to me in a very different way.”

“Oh.  Good,” Mika still doesn’t look convinced, but Arashi isn’t going to press right now since they’ve both had a really long day.  

“You can sleep for a bit if you want,” Arashi yawns, fairly close to doing the same himself.  “Izumi-chan will be back with food in a while.”

Mika nods, curling up against Arashi’s chest and closing his eyes.  

Arashi holds him close, stroking his hair and half-dozing himself until he hears footsteps outside and the door opens again.  

“Naru?”

“Ou-sama?” Arashi blinks, though really he’s not all that surprised that Izumi would have gone straight to Leo and told him about all of the injuries Arashi had been trying to hide until now.  

“Sena made you some soup, and there’s some tea,” he murmurs, talking in a voice far quieter than Arashi has almost ever heard him speak.  “I’m meeting with Itsuki tomorrow,” he adds, setting the tray of food down on the nightstand.  “He says he’ll tell me who...told him to go after you.  And when he does…”

Arashi opens his mouth to protest but closes it right away, knowing it’s useless.  It’s just Leo’s way to make somebody pay for hurting one of his own, and even though Arashi would rather move on and forget this happened entirely, he knows that his opinion means nothing here.  

Knights have a reputation for being brutal for a reason, after all, even if it’s not how he wants to be seen.  

Mika peeks out at Leo, mismatched eyes wide as he half-hides under the covers again.  “Yer not gonna hurt ‘im, right?” comes a muffled voice from beneath the covers.  

“Itsuki?” Leo blinks.  “Nah, I’ve got nothing against him...we don’t really get along but if I really hated him you wouldn’t be in Naru’s bed right now,” he says, which only causes Mika to squeak and latch onto Arashi’s waist.  

“Ou-sama,” Arashi sighs, because he’s not in the mood for this right now.  

“You’d fight me on that, huh,” Leo smiles sadly at him, reaching to run his fingers through Arashi’s hair again.  “Well, as far as I’m concerned, nobody here’s going to touch him,” he looks back toward Mika, who lowers the blankets a little and blinks.  “Thanks for saving Naru, little crow,” he nods, and Mika eventually gives him a tiny smile.  “I’m glad I have my queen back safely.”

“Mm,” Arashi relaxes, knowing he can trust Leo and that MIka will be treated like a guest while he’s here.  He _would_ have fought for Mika, at least as much as he could have in his current weakened state, but it’s better that he doesn’t need to.  

“We’ll talk more in the morning, okay?  Isara told us some things that I think you should know, but for tonight just get some rest,” Leo bends down to kiss his temple.  “If you need anything, yell for Sena.”

“I will,” Arashi chuckles, reaching to grip Leo’s hand.  “Thank you for rescuing me.”

“Always,” Leo vows, holding his hand over his heart for a moment before straightening up and leaving the room.  

“I thought he’d be super scary,” Mika comments once he’s sure Leo’s gone, sitting up properly.  “I mean, Oshi-san seemed afraid of hm and he’s not afraid of nobody.”

“He can be intimidating, but not if you’re on his good side,” Arashi carefully lifts one of the bowls of soup and passes it to Mika, taking the other for himself.  “And since you saved me, you’re definitely on his good side.”

“Good,” Mika nods, settling back against the headboard, and Arashi checks to make sure he’s keeping his injured leg straight.  

They eat mostly in silence, Mika leaning against him and being a comforting weight at his side, and Arashi knows that Mika being here really _is_ a blessing.

“Mm, y’ wanna sleep more?” Mika asks once he’s done, reaching past Arashi to set the bowl back.  Arashi bites his lip and nods, placing his own empty bowl to the side and feeling tears welling up behind his eyes again because it’s finally hitting him that he’s _home_ and _safe_ and Mika’s _here_ to help him through this and…

“Naru-chan?” Mika asks quietly, reaching to cup his cheeks.  “Are y’ okay?”

Arashi lets out a little sob, trying to keep his tears under control, but apparently being here means that he _can’t_ and he feels his eyes start to water again.  

“Hey,” Mika helps him lie down, curling up against his chest and nuzzling his throat.  “Yer safe now.”

“I know,” Arashi manages to choke out, laughing through his tears.  “Maybe that’s why I’m letting myself cry.”

“Y’ can if y’ need it,” Mika hums, his hand resting heavily on Arashi’s stomach and rubbing it through the bandages.  

“I need to warn you that I’m a really ugly crier,” Arashi sniffs, clinging to Mika and burying his nose in the boy’s messy hair.  

“I think yer beautiful no matter what,” Mika replies softly, and that’s really all it takes to get him started.  Arashi had thought he’d cried himself out with Izumi but apparently that was just a warm-up, because he’s shaking and sobbing like he can’t stop.  “Yer so strong, Naru-chan,” Mika’s whispering things into his ear, words that mean nothing to him with how emotional he is, but he knows they’re full of support and that’s all that matters.  

He cries until the tears run out and he’s just sobbing dryly, his muscles aching even more than they had before, but when he finally lets go of Mika and flops back against the pillows he feels a calmness flowing through him that releases all the tension he’s been holding since his capture.  

“Better?” Mika’s eyes look suspiciously wet and Arashi feels bad that anybody would cry for him, but he tugs Mika closer to kiss him.

“Better,” he rasps, his throat dry and sore and _fuck_ , everyone in the base had probably heard him.  

“Uh...this little guy came in while y’ were…” Mika points to the foot of the bed where a tiny cat is sitting, blue eyes wide and tail flicking from side-to-side as she regards Arashi curiously.

“Nyanko,” he reaches out a hand, letting out a tiny laugh when she starts purring and clambers onto him.  She’s not heavy enough to hurt, thankfully, and he wraps her up and gets a squeaking rumble in return.  “Nyanko, honey, I missed you!”

Arashi cuddles the cat close, burying his nose in her soft fur and knowing that _she_ knows, somehow, that he needs to be comforted.

“She’s cute,” Mika says, reaching to scratch behind her her ears, and she lets out another pleased mewl.  

“Sorry, Mika-chan.  You’re going to have to compete for cuddle time with this one around,” Arashi laughs, still feeling like a mess but also so, so grateful that he’s finally _home._

“Well, she hasn’t seen y’ fer a week so I think I can handle it,” Mika lies down beside him, one hand resting on Arashi’s stomach, and eventually Nyanko climbs off of him and curls up on the pillow next to his head.  

“I think she has the right idea,” Arashi admits, reaching to tug the blankets a little higher.  

“Yeah,” Mika agrees, his head coming to fit naturally under Arashi’s chin the way it always does when they go to sleep.  

It feels better this time, though...probably because he’s in his own bed, because while Mika’s was comfortable enough, he was still in an enemy base and now he’s not and he doesn’t have to worry.  

“G’night, Naru-chan,” Mika mumbles, and Arashi brushes his tousled hair off of his forehead and kisses it tenderly.

“Sleep well, darling,” he replies, tightening his arms around the boy a little as his eyes slide closed and he drifts into a peaceful slumber. 

-

“Everyone’s finding someone.”

“Yep,” Izumi agrees vaguely, seated at the table and flipping through some folders.  He doesn’t say anything after that, seemingly content to pore over the pages inside before stacking them neatly and closing the file.  

“Rittsu and his little spy...and now Naru and his crow...you know, there’s no reason why we have to be the ones left out.”

“Mm.”

Leo looks at Izumi curiously, hoping for a glimpse of what he’s feeling to show on his face, but his expression remains stubbornly neutral.  

“At this rate, the newbie’s gonna find somebody before either of us, and that’s just sad.”

“Good for him,” Izumi stands, picking up the files, and Leo wonders if he’s even heard a word of what the other man has been saying.  “Good night.”

“Sena…”

“No,” Izumi gives him a dark look, his eyes narrowed.  “We’ve been through this.  My answer’s not going to change.  We both know why…”

“There is no ‘why’,” Leo laughs bitterly, scuffing the toe of his boot on the floor.  “But you’ve convinced yourself there is and now I’m left pining, is that it?”

“Leo-kun,” he snaps, a fleeting look of shock painting his features before he scowls again.  “Ou-sama,” he corrects himself.  “We’re not going over this again.”

“Are you that determined to be miserable?” Leo can’t bring himself to care that he’s being cruel.  He knows Izumi feels the same way he does.  He _knows_.  

 “If you ever lo-...” Izumi sighs heavily, cutting the word off.  “If you ever cared about me, you’d drop it.  Good night,” he repeats, not looking back as he leaves the kitchen.  

Leo lets himself smile, strained and painful, and tilts his head back to look at the ceiling.  “If I ever loved you, huh…” he hums, swallowing down the swirling ball of disappointment in his chest, and wonders how long he’ll have to wait.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part of the story was planned out long before the Checkmate event but in light of that the Izuleo angst in the last part seems even more appropriate...
> 
> Thanks again for all of the lovely comments and encouragement both here and on twitter! And as always, please feel free to leave your thoughts :)


	7. Chapter 7

“Naruuu.  Naru!”

“Hmm?” Arashi blinks himself out of sleep, sighing and turning a little to see Leo leaning over him.  “Something wrong?”

“Nope!  Just wanted to let you both know I’m heading off to see Itsuki now,” he lets his fingers trail through Arashi’s hair, smiling at him.  “And maybe to make sure I didn’t dream you coming back.”

“Sweet-talker,” Arashi chuckles, because Leo seemingly has that effect on everybody.  “I’m here, Ou-sama.”

“I know,” Leo nods, although the look on his face is solemn.  “We’ll get our answers today, one way or the other.”

“Yeah,” Arashi admits, still not keen on the idea of somebody else suffering as a result of this.  “Guess we will.”

“You two just relax and let Sena take care of you, okay?  When I get back we can have a meeting and talk everything over,” he seems unwilling to leave, both his hands on Arashi now, and Arashi lets his eyes close and thinks that Leo’s never treated him this way before.

He’s excitable and affectionate with everyone, but he’s being so careful now and Arashi can tell his concern is genuine.  “You can go, Ou-sama,” he sighs.  “I’ll be here when you come back, you know?”

“Can I see?” Leo asks softly, and Arashi goes rigid under his hands.  “Sorry.”

“No, you...later, maybe,” Arashi opens his eyes a little and glances up at Leo.  “Reapplying the bandages is a pain and I don’t feel like doing it unless I have to.”

“Okay,” Leo nods, pulling away with an obvious effort.  “I should go,” he turns around, walking quickly out of the room.  

“I guess there’s really no question what y’ are t’ him now, huh?” Mika breaks in, and Arashi hadn’t even known he was awake so it startles him a little.  

“What do you mean?”

“Oh!  Uh.  Back at th’ base, Oshi-san asked me if I knew what piece y’ were...once he figured out y’ were Knights, I mean,” he adds, and Arashi thinks that’s not an unusual question considering Shu had known most of them from the Agency.  “I said y’ hadn’t told me, but after last night...guess we picked the wrong person t’ mess with, huh?”

“Because I’m the Queen?” Arashi laughs, holding a hand over his stomach when it sends a dull pain through his chest.  “It doesn’t mean anything.  Truth be told, we’re not really that close, and it’s mostly my title because I wanted it and nobody else did.”

“Huh,” Mika blinks, pushing himself up so he can look down at Arashi.  “Y’ seem pretty close.”

“He’s never been like that,” Arashi replies slowly.  “Not to this extent, but I guess it proves he cares and I...well, since I can’t go back to my old job, I’d like to know I’m at least appreciated here,” he admits.  

“Judgin’ from how happy they all were fer you t’ be back, I’d say yer more than appreciated,” Mika nuzzles his neck.  

“It feels nice,” Arashi admits, resting a hand on Mika’s back.  “ _ You _ feel nice too, by the way.”

“Good.  Want y’ t’ feel nice,” Mika kisses his throat, lips lingering on his skin.  

“Are you worried?  About what he’s going to find out?” Arashi asks, feeling Mika tense under his hand.  

“Kinda.  Oshi-san...he’s kinda hard t’ get along with and he doesn’t have that many friends, and even less people that he really trusts, so...it’s gotta be someone I kinda know, and somebody he’s gonna feel really betrayed by,” he murmurs.  

“Do you want to be there for him?” Arashi asks, since he’d be willing to let Mika go as soon as his leg’s healed a bit.  Selfishly, he doesn’t want him to ever leave, but he knows that’s not possible.  

“Nah, he c’n take care of himself, I think.  He was pretty stressed about yer King comin’ after him but if he knows he’s safe he c’n find a way to get through this,” Mika sounds sure and Arashi doesn’t really have any reason not to believe him.  He hadn’t seen much of Shu in his time at Valkyrie’s base, since he seemed to stay far away from the torture chambers, but he sounds like a pretty hard person to get along with.  

“You know you can leave whenever you want,” Arashi adds.  “As long as somebody goes with to make sure your leg’s okay on the way over there, I mean.”

“Don’t wanna leave,” MIka promises.  “Maybe ‘s weird since I usually don’t do too well away from places I’m comfortable, but...you feel like home,” he whispers, and Arashi  _ has  _ to kiss him for that one.  

“Mika-chan, you can’t just  _ say _ things like that,” he groans softly, because both of them are too injured to do more than kissing but damn it, he wants to do  _ everything  _ with him.  

“Sorry.  ‘S true, though,” he promises, pulling back a little when the door opens.  

“Hey, kids.”

“Izumi-chan,” Arashi sits up a little, watching him hover in the doorway.  “You weren’t afraid of me last night.”

“I’m not  _ afraid,”  _ Izumi sniffs.  “But if you expect me to cry over you again you’re out of luck.”

“Come,” Arashi holds out his hand and Izumi sighs rather dramatically, sitting on the edge of the bed.  “What’s up?”

“Nothing.  Just wanted to know if you wanted to come sit in the living room for a while.  I’ll make breakfast,” he adds, and Arashi has to admit it would probably be good to move around a little.  “Ou-sama should be back by lunch so we can talk then.”

“Carry me?” Arashi asks, knowing the answer will be ‘no’, but it’s worth it to fluster Izumi a little more. 

“You’re fucking heavy, you asshole.  You’re all muscle,” Izumi sniffs, standing up and moving to the other side of the bed.  “I’ll carry your crow.”

“What did you do without me, darling?  You had nobody to yell at,” Arashi clicks his tongue as Izumi carefully scoops Mika up.  

“Yeah, well, don’t do it again,” Izumi mutters, leaving the room and yelling at Ritsu to come over.  

“Rude, Secchan,” Ritsu calls back as he enters, blinking slowly at Arashi.  “I’m not good at this sort of thing, but it didn’t feel right here without you.”

“I missed you, too,” Arashi holds out his arms and Ritsu lifts him easily, his vampiric strength coming in handy for situations like this.  

“He was bitching non-stop without you around, you know,” Ritsu heads down the hall, obviously trying not to jostle Arashi too much.  “You didn’t hear that from me, though.”

“Of course not,” Arashi sinks into the sofa cushions gratefully once he’s able to, accepting the blanket Izumi hands him and pulling it around both himself and Mika when he scoots closer.  

“Ah,” Tsukasa comes into the room, stopping shortly and bowing his head when he sees Arashi.  “Narukami-san.  I did not get the chance to say so last night, but I’m glad you’re back.”

“Such a cute boy,” Arashi hums, feeling his cheeks heat up because everyone’s being so  _ nice  _ to him and he knows it’s genuine.  “I...it’s very good to be home.”

The beeping that signals the door alarm being activated goes off and Ritsu pushes himself to his feet, yawning.  “That’ll be Maa-kun.  You’d think after all he’s done Ou-sama would give him access to this place,” he shuffles away, returning a few moments later with Mao in tow.  

Mao crosses to the kitchen to drop off what looks like a few grocery bags before coming back out, his expression turning sheepish when he sees Mika.  

“Uh.  Sorry about last night,” he scratches the back of his neck and looks at the floor.  “I didn’t get to properly apologize, but…”

“ ‘s fine.  Not like I c’n feel it or anythin’, so it doesn’t matter t’ me much,” Mika replies with a nonchalant shrug, and while Mao doesn’t look convinced, he does head back into the kitchen to start unpacking the bags.  

“You’re a strange kid, y’know that?” Izumi narrows his eyes and stares at Mika, who squeaks and tries to hide under the blanket.  “Anyway, I guess I’m making brunch now since it’ll be late by the time it’s done, but maybe Ou-sama will be back so I don’t have to cook two meals in a row,” he grunts, leaving the room again.  

“Well, there’s not much to do until he gets back,” Ritsu sinks down on the couch beside Arashi and Mika.  “Someone should turn the TV on.”

There’s silence until Tsukasa does it himself, grumbling under his breath, but from the way Ritsu’s smirking it seems like that was probably his plan all along.  

They shouldn’t all work together as well as they do, Arashi thinks idly as he settles himself.  But now there’s no question that this place and these people, as dysfunctional as they all are...this is where he belongs.  

And maybe he’s finally starting to accept that.

-

“So, where should we start?” Leo grabs the plate Izumi offers him, sinking down into an armchair and crossing his legs.  He hadn’t really given anything away once he’d gotten back, his demeanor carefully neutral, but Izumi’s known him long enough that he can tell there’s an anger seething underneath that mild exterior and he knows somebody’s in serious trouble once he gets the chance to let it out..  

“How’s Oshi-san?” MIka pipes up, fingers curled over the edge of the blanket as he peers over the top like some sort of cave-dwelling goblin.  “If y’ hurt him…”

“I said I wouldn’t!” Leo protests, digging his fork into the waiting omelette and shoveling it into his mouth with little finesse.  “He told me what I needed to know.”

“So?  Who sold me out?” Arashi looks hesitant to ask, and Izumi knows he’s got a pretty big aversion to violence but in this case....he has to side with Leo.  

_ Somebody  _ has to pay.  Not just for Arashi’s sake, but to show that Knights aren’t to be messed with and that threatening one of them won’t be tolerated by the rest.  

“He said it was an old team member of his...I guess they had a falling out a little while ago and he left to make his own team, but...well, from what Itsuki told me, the bad blood between them shouldn’t have gone this far,” Leo’s picking at his food more than eating it now.  

“Team member?” Mika asks slowly, frowning a little.  “But the only other member of Valkyire was…” he stops, his frown deepening.  

“The current leader of Ra*bits, yeah,” Leo nods.  “I’m guessing you know him.”

“I thought I did,” Mika curls up even tighter under the blanket.  “Nazuna-nii was like a big brother to me and Oshi-san adored ‘im, but one day he jes up and left and I never knew why.  It always kinda felt like a betrayal ‘cuz it came outta nowhere but I never thought he’d try t’ get us killed.”

“Well, apparently he did, since if Itsuki liked him as much as you say he did, I don’t think he would have made it up,” Leo mentions, going back to eating with a bit more purpose now.  

“He’s not like that,” Mika shakes his head.  “He didn’ seem that angry after Nazuna-nii left either so ‘s not like he’d make it up for revenge,” he sighs.  “I guess maybe he was playin’ us all real good.”

“Ra*bits are a joke of a team,” Ritsu points out, yawning and leaning on Arashi’s shoulder.  Arashi tenses up for a second before relaxing and resting his head against Ritsu’s, but it’s noticeable enough to Izumi and he wonders just how badly this whole thing is affecting him. 

He’d done the same thing last night, even when Izumi was changing his bandages and Arashi  _ knew _ where he was, but considering how annoyingly touchy Arashi had been before this was going to take some getting used to.  

“Sorry,” Ritsu mumbles, but Arashi doesn’t move away so he stays where he is.  “Anyway.  Besides Nito, the others are all kids he’s picked up in one way or another.  None of them are trained agents so infiltrating should be a piece of cake.”

“Sena, Newbie, you guys take care of that.  Tomorrow, if possible,” Leo adds, and Izumi knows he must be eager to get started with this whole payback business.  “Any objections?” he looks straight at Mika, who shrugs.

“If he’s the one that made this happen, he deserves it,” Mika says, a slight growl creeping into his voice.  

“Good,” Leo finishes his food and sets the plate aside, sighing and patting his stomach.  “Now.  Is there anything else we should talk about?”

“Not that it’s important now, but I would like to know about the, well, rescue mission,” Arashi clears his throat.  

“First things first, how the fuck did they catch you?  You can take most people with your eyes closed and you’re damn fast,” Izumi sits on the arm of Leo’s chair.  

“Flattery will get you everywhere, darling,” Arashi says, predictably flirty, but Izumi can hear that the words are half-hearted at best.  “And honestly, I got hit from above...my phone must have flown out of my hand since I don’t remember throwing it away,” he furrows his brow.  “I was walking down the alley to take a shortcut but the buildings were far too tall for anybody to climb them, so I’m just as lost as anybody.”

“Nah, it was Sora-chan,” Mika says.  “Y’ prob’ly didn’ see much of ‘im but he’s a little blond kid and he knows...whassit called...parkour?” he says the word slowly.  “So he c’n pretty much run up walls and jump b’tween buildings and nobody sees him comin’.”

“Well, that explains it,” Arashi looks a little disappointed, probably in himself, but Izumi guesses that none of them would have much defense against an aerial attack and it wouldn’t take much more than landing on a person to knock them out.  “So, how’d you find me?  The lenses?”

“Yep!  Worked like a charm.  Rittsu tracked you right to their base and we got the coordinates before the tracker went dead,” Leo lifts a hand to rest it in the small of Izumi’s back.  Izumi’s tempted to push him off, but he doesn't want to cause a scene.  

“We still had to plan things carefully, though, as it as an unfamiliar area and getting in and out without attracting attention was our top priority,” Tsukasa takes over explaining, his eyes darting around as if he’s unsure if he should be the one to say it.  “Isara-san volunteered to undertake the task.”

“Well,” Mao sighs, leaning forward.  “I’m a trained agent and I still felt like I had to prove my worth,” one corner of his mouth turns up in a wry sort of smile.  

“The newbie’s too green and we couldn’t be sure Sena wouldn’t kill anyone he came across depending on what state we found you in,” Leo sounds thoughtful, his fingers pressing more surely against Izumi’s back.  

“I’ve never seen Secchan so angry.  He almost broke the desk from kicking it the night we found out you’d been taken,” Ritsu’s eyes are closed and he drapes an arm over Arashi’s body protectively.  “Mm, I knew you were alive, but that’s all I could tell.”

Arashi sticks his nose into Ritsu’s hair, his eyes open just enough that he can stare at Izumi.  

“Yeah, I lost it,” Izumi sighs.  “But we...went over that last night, right?”

Arashi nods slowly, and Izumi’s glad he doesn’t bring up how ‘went over that’ really meant both of them sobbing and clinging to each other like children.  He’d needed it, though, because he’s been so anxious and stressed that he was barely functioning and it’s scary to think that there’s a very real possibility one of them might  _ not  _ come home one day.  

“Yeah, so at least everything worked out,” Izumi mumbles, predictably trying to brush it off even though he knows it’s hardly that simple.  Arashi being back is the best possible outcome, but no doubt the healing process is going to be long and painful and continue long after the bandages are gone and the scars are starting to fade.  

Arashi looks comfortable enough now, though, curled up between Mika and Ritsu, and Izumi knows the protection of a vampire is one of the most powerful kinds of armor somebody can have.  Ritsu considers all of them  _ his _ by now, he thinks, and he’ll keep them safe as long as they’re in the base.  

It’s not much comfort when they’re out on missions, of course, but it’s  _ something.   _

Arashi glances over toward Mao, frowning as if trying to remember something before he speaks.  “Oh, Ou-sama said you had something to tell me?”

“I did?” Mao blinks, biting his lip before seemingly realizing what it was.  “Oh.  I’m not sure if you want to be reminded of this, but the man...that hurt you...he used to work for Tenshouin.”

“Wait…” Ritsu lifts his head.  “Is he the one you told me about?”

“Yeah,” Mao whispers, sitting down at the kitchen table.  “I...I’ve never heard of anyone coming away from him without being broken, but you…”

“It’s not because i’m anything special,” Arashi shakes his head.  “But when I said that Mika-chan saved my life, I wasn’t exaggerating.  I think...knowing I had your visits to look forward to every day and that for a few moments I could relax and feel safe made all the difference.”

The kid in question blushes and hides his face against Arashi’s shoulder, but Izumi’s starting to think this isn’t just Arashi being dramatic again and that he  _ actually _ means it.  

Which, again, is a pretty scary thought.  

“Well, you should get some more rest,” Leo decides, glancing over at Arashi.  “Sena, you and the newbie come with me and we’ll plan things out for infiltrating Ra*bits’ base tomorrow.  And you…” he narrows his eyes at Mao before breaking into a grin.  “Rittsu’s right, you’ve more than proven your worth, so I’ll give you access to the front door later, okay?”

“Okay.  Thanks,” Mao looks relieved, grabbing the empty plates and shuffling back to the kitchen with them.  Izumi pulls away from Leo’s touch and stands, going over to shake Ritsu’s shoulder.  

“Oi, Kuma-kun, you’re the strategist.  Come help us.”

“No.  I’m needed,” Ritsu replies grumpily, waving a hand vaguely from under the blanket. “Ra*bits are rookies, you should be able to deal with them in your sleep.”

“Naru-kun?”

“He can stay,” Arashi doesn’t sound entirely sure, but Ritsu snuggles closer regardless.  “Maybe it’s because you’re not human, but…”

“It is.  Me touching you won’t bring back any bad memories, because I’m worse than all of them,” Ritsu bares his teeth and grins, and after a long moment Arashi smiles back.  “Anyway, I’ll pull up their base later and get you a general outline, but honestly marching through the front door guns drawn and demanding Nito will probably work just as well.”

“I wanna believe he’s not a bad person,” Mika says quietly, his strange eyes narrowed a little.  “An’ if he’s feelin’ guilty he’ll come with b’cause he knows he deserves t’ be paid back.”

“We can only hope,” Tsukasa says gravely.  “The last thing we need is more trouble to come from this.  Not that you’re any trouble, Narukami-san,” he adds quickly.  

“I know,” Arashi replies, and normally he’d snap back with something flirty, but Izumi has a feeling he’s going to need to get used to Arashi being a lot.. _.less _ than he normally is for the next little while.  

At least, he hopes it’s just for the next little while.  

“Right.  Come on, then,” Leo leaves the living room, trusting Izumi and Tsukasa to follow, and with a heavy sigh Izumi trudges after him and tries to prepare for tomorrow.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's not a whole lot to say about this chapter except that it kind of gets the plot moving again (and also writing Knights as a group is really, really fun to do). 
> 
> As always, please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts!


	8. Chapter 8

The three boys in front of him can’t be much older than he himself is, but Tsukasa can tell instantly they don’t have his training.  One of them is holding a gun, his hands shaking so badly he’d never be able to aim properly, and the other two are obviously trying to look brave but are trembling just as much.  

He feels sorry for them, much as he doesn’t want to.  They’re enemies, technically, or at least their leader is, but if they choose to follow him then they have to suffer the same fate.  

“We’re not gonna let you take Nii-chan,” one of the boys states, an audible tremor in his voice.  “You’ll have to go through us!”

“Look, we don’t want to hurt anyone,” Izumi looks bored, his own gun held loosely in his fingers as he rests his hand on his hip.  “We’re not monsters, y’know.”

“Your reputation says otherwise,” a boy with longer blue hair replies, his voice soft and contemplative.  Tsukasa glances at him appraisingly, since he sounds rather composed even though he’s pointedly not looking either of them in the eye.  

“Mitsuru, Hajime, stay behind me,” the one with the gun says, swallowing noticeably and raising the weapon.  “What kind of men would we be if we let them kidnap our Nii-chan without a fight?”

“Men that follow orders,” a voice from behind them speaks, and Tsukasa looks up as a short man with a rather interesting asymmetrical haircut steps through a doorway.  “You’re here for me.”

“Nito?  Yeah,” Izumi straightens up, every inch of him alert now.  “You gonna come quietly?  The little crow said you would,” he throws it out casually but Tsukasa has to admire how shrewd he’s being.  

“Mika-chin?” Nito’s red eyes widen and he looks frightened for a moment.  “You…”

“We’ve got him, yeah, and I guess Itsuki sold you out, so you don’t have many options here.  We won’t hurt your kids if you cooperate,” he shifts again, completely collected.  “So?”

“I’ll come,” Nito sighs.  “I guess I was expecting this.”

“You should have been.  Let’s go,” Izumi grabs his arm and Nito gives him a pointed look that’s still a little defiant.  

“I’m not going to run.  Kids…” he glances back over his shoulder and smiles brightly.  “Take care of each other while I’m gone!”

“Let’s  _ go,”  _ Izumi repeats, half-dragging Nito out of the room.  Tsukasa keeps his gun up, making sure the other boys aren’t going to try anything, before backing slowly out.  

“He’s not coming back, is he?” 

It’s the boy with blue hair again, his eyes flicking up to Tsukasa briefly.  

“I don’t know what plans my Leader has for him,” Tsukasa replies, and it’s the truth.  “If...if my fellow Knight had not come back alive, I would say the chances of him coming back would be very small, but since he did…”

“You don’t have to lie.  We look young, but we’re here for a reason,” he folds his hands nervously in front of him and looks down at the floor.  

“Well.  I suggest you keep hoping, in that case,” Tsukasa nods, unfailingly polite even in enemy territory, but a sharp yell of “Kasa-kun!” sends him scurrying from the base and over to the car where Izumi’s waiting.  

“Drive.  I’ll keep an eye on him,” Izumi pulls Nito into the backseat with him and Tsukasa takes the wheel, heading away from Ra*bits’ base and back toward their own.  

“Do you...really have Mika-chin?” Nito speaks after a while, his voice markedly less assured than it had been in front of his fellow team members, and Tsukasa realizes he was trying to put on a brave face for them.  

“He’s a guest,” Izumi replies, sounding unconcerned.  

“Oh.  Good.  He’s a good kid,” he mumbles, and Tsukasa chances a look in the rearview mirror to see he’s staring straight ahead, his fingers clenched in the fabric of his pants.  “I’m not looking for sympathy,” he starts talking again, his speech starting to slur a little.  “But I...I have reasons for doing what Tenshouin...what he asked me…”

“Hey,” Izumi grunts.  “Don’t talk anymore.”

“Shorry,” Nito’s voice is remarkably less composed now, words blending into each other.  “I’m...sorry, I never meant…”

“Those boys back at your base...he threatened them, didn’t he?” Tsukasa asks softly, and Nito looks up in surprise before nodding.  

“Fuck,” Izumi sighs, leaning back against the seat.  “I was afraid of this.”

“Of what?” Nito asks slowly.  

“Tenshouin’s trying to pit us all against each other so nobody goes after him.  If we take each other out, he doesn’t have to even attempt to get his hands dirty.  It’s genius, and it’s working,” he sounds bitter, and Tsukasa looks back to see him staring moodily out the window.

“It doesn’t have to,” he says quietly.  “If Leader knew the circumstances…”

“I’ll try, but there’s no chance he’s going to listen to me.  He wants to hurt somebody too badly,” Izumi mutters. “Sorry,” he directs this to Nito.  

“I knew that I might be signing my own death warrant by messing with Knights, so it’s okay,” his hands ball into even tighter fists, knuckles going white, and there’s no question now that he’s scared.  

Tsukasa can’t say anything to comfort him, though, so he turns his eyes to the road and tries not to think about it.  

-

“Sena.”

“No,” Izumi replies, heading to the fridge to grab a bottle of water and drinking about half of it in one long swallow.  

“ _ Se _ ~na…”

“There was no resistance.  The mission was completed and Kasa-kun’s making sure our guest is secure for the night,” he rattles off, trying to keep his voice even and his tone professional.  

He knows what Leo’s doing.  

It’s not as if he and Arashi had made any secret of the fact that they disappeared together whenever they got back from a mission, but to be honest, this barely counted.  There was no fighting, no tension, no real chance for him to even get his blood pumping or his adrenaline rushing.  

If Leo’s hoping he’ll be an easy fuck because it’s become a habit of sorts, he’s going to be sorely disappointed.  

“I’m going to take a shower and go to bed,” he announces, moving to brush past Leo and glaring when the shorter man grabs his wrist.  “Leo-kun,” he says firmly, needing Leo to know he’s annoyed.  Leo’s his equal in this, not his king, and he’s not willing to give in.  

“Nobody would blame you for this, you know,” Leo says casually.  “It’s what you’re used to, after all, and Naru’s...occupied, so I just happen to be the next best choice.”

“I don’t care what anyone thinks, Ou-sama,” he sighs, knowing that the longer he stays here talking to Leo, the more chance there is that he’ll lose his nerve to leave.  “If we start anything, it’s going to turn into a giant mess and you know it.”

“Or it might not,” Leo says with a tiny shrug.  “It might end up being what we both need.  Are you really going to just...give up on a chance for happiness because you’re  _ afraid?” _

“Asshole,” Izumi replies, since Leo’s goading him now.  He looks at him, which is a mistake, because Leo’s hair is tousled and Leo’s shirt is half-unbuttoned and Leo’s eyes are almost gleaming green in the half-dark.  

“Sena.  Please,” Leo slides his hand down so he’s gripping Izumi’s fingers, and Izumi knows he’s lost.  “Any of us could die at any time.  Why would you…”

Izumi shuts him up with a kiss, because it seems like the best way to do it, and the sound that’s ripped from Leo’s throat is almost animalistic.  He growls, clutching at Izumi’s arms, and Izumi’s a second away from shoving him onto the counter and having his way with him right there.  

“Ou-sama, our prisoner is...oh…”

Izumi whips around, glaring at Tsukasa intensely enough that the boy takes a step back.  

“Kasa-kun.  Run.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice, thankfully, though Izumi doesn’t think he could have stopped himself either way.  

Leo looks much too smug now, even with his lips kiss-bruised and his hair messed up further by Izumi’s fingers.  “Maybe we should move this to my bedroom?”

“Yeah,” Izumi yanks him forward to kiss him again, both of them stumbling to the bedroom and half-undressing each other in the process, and Izumi still thinks he’s going to regret this about five seconds after they’re done, but…

But right now, he can’t bring himself to care.  

-

“Nito told us something on the way back here.”

“Is it something that’s going to make me feel bad for him?” Leo asks.  Izumi glances over at him, regretting it a moment later because Leo looks utterly sated, eyes half-lidded and body laid out on the rumpled sheets.  

“It’s something you should know,” Izumi realizes that he’s not answering Leo’s question, but if he says it outright he knows the other man will just refuse to listen.  

“Tell me tomorrow, then,” Leo replies with a shrug, causing Izumi to huff out an annoyed breath.  

He shouldn’t be  _ annoyed _ after sex.

He should be basking in the afterglow of finally sleeping with the guy he’s been in love with for ages, but with Leo nothing’s ever that simple, and that’s part of the reason he’s tried to avoid this for so long.  

“Ou-sama, he was just…”

“Nope!” Leo reaches over to cover his mouth and Izumi growls at him.  “Look, I only need to know one thing: did he, or did he not, sell us out knowing it could mean the death of one of our members?”

He pulls his hand away and Izumi sighs, averting his eyes so he’s looking more at the bedsheets than anything else.  “He knew.”

“Then that’s all I need,” Leo turns away, the line of his back tense as he lets his legs hang over the edge of the bed.  

“Naru-kun doesn’t want you to do this.  Shouldn’t you respect his wishes since he’s the one who suffered?” Izumi knows it’s a low blow to bring Arashi into this, but if  _ he  _ can’t convince Leo…

“I know.  He’s said as much,” Leo flops back onto the bed, his hair falling loosely around him, unbound from its usual ponytail for once.  “I need to do this, Sena.  There’s a part of me that’s twisted and ugly and corrupted and it’s…”

“Idiot,” Izumi leans down, kissing his forehead and savoring the fact that as long as he’s in this bed he can do things like that.  “Wanting revenge isn’t any of those things.  I just don’t think it’s going to help.”

Leo doesn’t really reply to that, staring up at the ceiling and breathing evenly, and if his eyes weren’t open Izumi might have thought he’d fallen asleep like that.  

“It probably won’t,” he finally admits.  “But I’ll feel better.”

Izumi flops beside him, throwing an arm across Leo’s chest and knowing that it’s probably useless to argue at this point.  He’s tired, besides, so he doesn’t even have the energy to try more than he has.  “Well, have it your way.”

Leo doesn’t reply to that, turning his body against Izumi’s and pulling the blankets up over them.  “Are you staying?”

“I shouldn’t.  I don’t want you to get the wrong idea,” Izumi says bluntly, and Leo chuckles. 

“You act as if I’ve never seen you and Naru snuggled up together the morning after a mission…”

“Ugh, that’s different.  He’s clingy.  And strong,” Izumi wrinkles his nose, because it’s almost impossible for him to escape when Arashi decides he’s going to lie on top of him..  

“You two love each other,” Leo says with a dismissive wave of his hand, and Izumi muses that it’s probably true.  

He’s not  _ in  _ love with Arashi, and Arashi’s not in love with _him_ , but there’s a lot of love between them.  

“Yeah, whatever,” he decides to say, knowing Leo isn’t buying it for a second.  “I’m still leaving.”

“Mm.  Okay,” Leo turns over and buries his face in the pillow, starting to snore almost immediately, and Izumi rolls his eyes.  

Leo might not be bothered by this whole thing, or at least he’s good at  _ acting _ like he’s not bothered, but Izumi’s not buying it even if he can’t change the other man’s mind right now.  

He can still try to prevent Leo from doing something he regrets, though, so he needs to pay a late-night visit.  

-

“Izumi-chan?” Arashi mumbles sleepily, half-opening his eyes when Izumi sits on the bed beside him.  Izumi reaches to pull the blanket higher over Arashi’s shoulders, getting a tired hum in return.  “Did you miss me that much?”

“Fuck no,” Izumi says, his voice lacking any real heat.  

“You smell like sex,” Arashi narrows his eyes, his mouth dropping open a second later.  “Did you and Ou-sama finally…”

“Shut  _ up!”  _ Izumi hisses, feeling his cheeks burning as he drops his head into his hands.  “That’s not important!  And it was just burning off some mission energy, since you’re kind of injured and have a protective bird guarding you!” he pokes Mika’s shoulder and MIka lets out a croak that only confirms he’s some sort of human-crow hybrid, at least in Izumi’s books. 

“I’m happy for you,” Arashi reaches a hand out from under the covers, squeezing Izumi’s fingers.  

“It’s not that simple,” Izumi doesn’t pull his hand away, since Arashi’s touch is more comforting than he’ll ever admit, but that’s as nice as he’s going to get.  “And that’s not why I’m here.  Ou-sama’s hell-bent on torturing this guy we brought back, but he’s making a mistake.”

“Mm,” Arashi rolls over, curling his free arm around Mika and yawning.  “Talk to me, honey.”

So Izumi does, because it’s easy here in the dark.  Easy when the only sound he can hear is Mika’s even breaths and the only thing he can feel is Arashi’s fingers gently clutching his.  It’s not like him to care so openly - and he really,  _ really  _ doesn’t care that much - but everything that’s happened has spooked him and the idea of making enemies where they could potentially have allies…

He can’t let that happen.  

Arashi is silent once he finishes, his thumb softly running over the back of Izumi’s hand, and his voice sounds thoughtful when he finally speaks.  

“Is Ou-sama going to be mad about this?”

“Probably at first, but he’ll realize it’s for the best.  I hope,” Izumi adds, since he doesn’t actually  _ know  _ if Leo will.  

Openly disobeying their king doesn’t exactly seem like the best idea, but then, Izumi’s not exactly known for making good choices most of the time.  

Including tonight, really, so it seems fitting that he just keeps digging himself farther into this hole.  

“Well, you know that I’ve never been a fan of torture as a method of revenge...and probably even less so now…” Arashi mutters bitterly.  “But I’m not…”

“I’m not asking you to stop him, because I wouldn’t put that on you,” Izumi promises.  He knows Arashi still feels unsure about his place with Knights and while  _ he’s  _ willing to push back against Leo, he can’t blame the others for not doing it.  “Just...don’t let him kill the kid, okay?”

“I don’t want any more blood on my hands,” Arashi says firmly, gripping Izumi’s hand.  “I promise.”

“Good.  Now get back to sleep,” Izumi bends down to kiss his forehead, standing up with an effort since he  _ really  _ is feeling the desire to just crawl into bed with Arashi and Mika right now.  

“Good night, honey,” Arashi replies, burying his nose against MIka’s neck, and Izumi knows there’s no place for him here.  

He leaves quietly, going back to his cold room and his cold bed, and just hopes he’s making the right choice.  

-

“I see our dear Knights paid a visit to Ra*bits today.”

Keito looks up from the papers he’s flipping through, seeing Eichi bathed in golden sunlight coming through the high office windows.  He looks positively angelic, as he probably appears to anyone who doesn’t know him, but Keito’s well aware of how deceiving that fact is.  

“And?” he asks, once it’s clear Eichi’s waiting for some kind of response.  

“Well, it’s not ideal,” Eichi glances at something up in one of the darkened corners of the room and Keito sees a pigeon flutter down, feathers shockingly white as it drops through a shaft of sunlight, before disappearing into the shadows again. “I would have much rather had Tsukinaga-kun take out Itsuki-kun and Sakasaki-kun for me, but I suppose it still leaves them fighting amongst themselves so it’s better than nothing.”

Keito can see movement in the darkness beside them, a quick flash of long hair and a slight shifting noise, and he understands.  He might not like Eichi’s pet magician - mostly because he’s loud and brash and likes making Keito’s life difficult a  _ little  _ too much - but he knows he’s friends with most of the people being mentioned and hearing about Eichi wishing to destroy them can’t be easy.  

He made his choice, Keito knows, but it’s not as if that makes everything that’s happened in the past disappear.  

“What of Sakuma-san, Wataru?” Eichi asks then, turning toward the corner where the pigeon had flown.  

“Ah!  Yes, if it is knowledge you seek, then I, Hibiki Wataru, shall provide it!” 

And  _ this  _ is why Keito can’t stand the man, because even a simple answer has to be cloaked in showmanship and excessively loud shouting.  

“And?” Eichi appears unfazed, though Keito knows that’s merely because when he wants information nothing will distract him from getting it. 

“There has been no movement,” Wataru replies, much slower and softer, and Keito hears the hesitation in his voice that lasts a fraction of a second too long.  “He must be in hiding.”

“Good,” Eichi turns back to the window and Keito knows he doesn’t believe Wataru, at least not fully.  

Sakuma, he thinks absently, his hand coming up to touch the side of his neck without realizing he’s even moved. 

There’s a name he hasn’t thought about in...far too long...but of course if Eichi wants to eradicate all opposition against him it would have to include him. 

He can’t get distracted thinking about him, though - not when there are other things he needs to deal with.  

Like, for one, making sure Leo knows what Eichi’s up to.  

He should be perceptive enough to figure it out without Keito’s help, but there’s a very tiny, very repressed part of Keito that might  _ like  _ visiting Knights every once in a while, even if it’s just to get away from the somewhat stifling atmosphere of Eichi’s base.  Plus, it gives him a way to check on Mao and see how he’s doing.  

_ And you get to see Sena,  _ a dark voice in the back of his brain that he’d really like to ignore chimes in, but it’s not like he can deny it even if it’s really just a bonus compared to what his actual mission here is.  

He can feel Wataru’s eyes following him out of the room and doesn’t look back, but makes a mental note to do his own checks into what Sakuma’s up to.  

That damn vampire’s always up to something, after all, and Keito would rather know what it is sooner than later.  

But that can wait.  

He’s got more important things to do.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm sorry, Nazuna...


	9. Chapter 9

“We need to move.”

“Huh?” Mao looks up from the work he’s doing - Ritsu’s work, technically, but even in the short time he’s been here he’s learned that Ritsu isn’t exactly one to finish writing his reports or recording all of his plans.  It’s not _his_ job, maybe, but _somebody_ has to do it.  

However, it’s the time of day when Ritsu’s normally fast asleep, so to hear him talking at all is a surprise.  

“I smell blood,” Ritsu sits up from the bed, his body moving stiffly and his red eyes gleaming in the dim light of the room.  “Ou-sama’s…”

“Yeah,” Mao swallows, since Ritsu had been edgy all morning about it.  Izumi had told him something over breakfast that had made him nervous, and while he still went to sleep after, Mao could tell he was waiting for something.  “What’s up?”

“I have to get Nacchan and take him to the cells...we need to stop this,” Ritsu decides, standing up and letting his body straighten.  “How are you with handling blood?”

“Uh…” Mao stops, because the answer is ‘not great’, but he has a feeling that’s not going to matter now.  “What do you need?”

“You.  Maybe,” Ritsu yawns, suddenly sleepy again.  “Depending on how strong it is when we get there I might need to feed.”

“But if there’s blood…”

“I don’t want just _anyone’s_ blood, I told you that,” Ritsu wrinkles his nose, looking disgusted.  “I want _yours.”_

“You need to work on being romantic,” Mao smiles, closing the laptop and standing up himself.  “But okay.  I can...we want to save this guy, right?”

“Yeah,” Ritsu agrees, wrapping his arms around Mao’s neck.  “Nacchan’s still too weak to walk anywhere so I have to take him,” he nuzzles behind Mao’s ear, holding him tightly.  

“I can handle it,” Mao decides, inwardly hoping that he win’t have to look at anything too gory.  Ritsu's a petty big distraction, especially when he's feeding, so that should keep him occupied.  

“Okay,” Ritsu pulls away reluctantly, sniffing the air.  “Come on.”

Mao follows him through the halls, stopping outside the door to Arashi’s room.  Apparently he was expecting this visit because Ritsu’s back within a minute, the other man secure in his arms,  

“How bad is it?” Arashi asks, getting a shrug from Ritsu.

“Hard to tell.  I can guess how badly hurt any of you are because i’m used to how you feel normally, but for a stranger...all I can tell is that he’s injured,” he replies, hefting Arashi higher and starting to move more rapidly.  

Mao’s almost jogging to keep up now, which tells him how nervous Ritsu must be, but when they get to the cells even _he_ can smell the undeniable coppery tang of blood in the air.  It makes his stomach churn.  

“Ou-sama!” Arashi calls in a voice much deeper and more commanding than Mao has ever heard him use.  “Stop it!”

Ritsu shoves the door open and Mao almost, _almost_ doesn’t want to go in...but maybe, if there’s more of them there, Leo will be more willing to listen, so he swallows his fears and follows the other two inside.  

Leo looks at them, something dark and inhuman in the way his eyes flash, and Ritsu growls.  

“Nacchan’s right, Ou-sama,” Ritsu sets Arashi down, steadying him until he’s sure he’s not going to collapse to the ground.  “This isn’t helping.”

“But-” Leo stops, shaking his head, and Mao can see the moment he snaps out of his blood-lust.  “I…”

“If you kill him, then Tenshouin wins.  Is that what you want?” Ritsu steps in front of the small man huddled on the ground, and Mao’s just glad the lighting in the room is dim enough that he can’t see all of the blood that’s probably covering him.  

The long side of his blond hair is dripping with it regardless, leaving messy streaks on the ground, and any clothing Mao can see is shredded to ribbons.  He’s breathing shallowly, apparently unconscious, which might be a good thing since it’ll make it easier to move him if he’s not trying to struggle.  

“This isn’t the answer,” Arashi moves so he’s beside Ritsu, standing up to his full height.  “Nothing you do to him is going to make what happened to me go away.  If you give him scars, they aren't going to make mine disappear.”

Leo blinks, staring down at his bloodied hands, and the look in his eyes now reminds Mao of a lost child.  He looks confused and a little horrified, but at least they seem to have broken through his rage.  

“Maa-kun, get Suu-chan.  Tell him to take this one back to his base,” Ritsu glances at Mao, and while his eyes are a little redder than usual, he doesn’t seem like he needs to feed _right_   _now_ so Mao feels safe leaving him for a few minutes.  

“Just dump him in the woods,” Leo says bitterly, guilt tingeing his voice.  He turns to the wall, curling in on himself, and Mao takes the opportunity to leave and get Tsukasa.  

He finds him in the living room, sitting cross-legged on the sofa with his laptop in front of him, and luckily the boy seems to understand that something major is happening because he comes without asking any questions.  Mao isn’t sure he’d be able to explain, not with how tight his throat is feeling, but Tsukasa obviously isn’t expecting to walk into a scene out of a horror movie from the shocked “ _Jesus Christ!”_ that leaves his lips when Mao pushes the door open.  

“Suu-chan,” Ritsu gives him a half-smile, fangs hanging out of his mouth.  “Take our guest back home, would you?”

“Ah.  Well,” Tsukasa looks at the man on the ground with some trepidation before staring down at his suit.  “I’m afraid…”

“Here,” Ritsu walks over to a corner of the room, digging out a pair of coveralls that look remarkably similar to the ones he’d been wearing the day Mao had figured out he was the designated torturer here.  

Except, between Ritsu and Leo, Mao was starting to think _Leo_ was the one who was far more ruthless since Ritsu at least did his job purely for information.  

“Thank you,” Tsukasa quickly steps into them, making sure his clothing is covered.  “Leader…”

“Leave him,” Arashi says with a sigh.  “Mou, Tsukasa-chan, we’ve got to fix this mess somehow.”

“I...believe I can assist with that,” Tsukasa bows his head.  “I spoke to some of the other boys at Ra*bits’ base when we went last time and I would not say they disliked me.”

“Good.  Go be the little charmer you are and keep them on our good side, yeah?” Arashi smiles and Tsukasa returns it after a second or two.  

“I will try my best,” he carefully lifts the man in his arms, directing a last searching look toward Leo before walking out of the room.  

“Let’s get you back to bed,” Ritsu turns to lift Arashi up, although both of them pause when Leo raises his hand.  

“I’ll…”

“No offense, Ou-sama, but you’re covered in blood,” Ritsu points out.  Leo seems to have forgotten this fact by the way he blinks in surprise when he looks down at his clothes.  “Get cleaned up.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll…” Leo stil seems half-dazed as he exits the room and staggers down the hall, but since neither Ritsu or Arashi seem all that concerned, Mao figures it’s okay to leave him.

“ _You,”_ Ritsu turns to Mao, eyes gleaming, and the bloodlust in them is evident now. “Wanna go for a snack when I get back?”

“Boys,” Arashi clicks his tongue.  “You should know better than to talk dirty in front of a lady!”

“As if I don’t know the things you and Secchan got up to,” Ritsu replies with a grin and Arashi shrugs, looking almost sheepish.  “Meet me in our room?”

“Yep,” Mao tries to hide the blush that colors his cheeks at ‘our room’, although it’s almost impossible and he knows Ritsu will notice.  He can't help it, really, since all it does is make him feel even more reassured that he  _does_ belong here and that he's not simply a guest anymore.

He hurries back, trying not to worry about what had just happened, but when Ritsu comes in and pins him to the bed, letting out a feral growl, it’s hard to worry about _anything._

And that’s just how he likes it.  

-

“Naru?  Are you mad at me?”

“No, Ou-sama,” Arashi feels exhausted just from being carried to the cells and back, but at least Leo’s showered in the meantime and doesn’t smell like an executioner anymore.  

“Really?”

“Yes, Ou-sama,” Arashi moves the blankets back and crawls into bed, pulling the sheet over his head and hoping Leo will get the hint that he’s not interested in talking.  Mika’s in the bathroom, and even if he _was_ here Arashi thinks he’s still too intimidated by Leo to be much help in this situation.  

“Are you-”

“Ou-sama,” he sighs and peers out of the blankets.  Leo looks distraught, wringing his hands in front of him

“Naru....tell me if I made a mistake,” Leo sits on the edge of the bed, dropping his head into his hands.  “Tell me if…”

“Well,” Arashi sits up so that he can lean back against the headboard.  “I wouldn’t have done things the same way, but if it’s what you needed, I can’t tell you it was wrong.”

Leo shivers a little and Arashi reaches out despite himself, resting his hand on Leo’s back.  “They hurt you so badly, Naru, I couldn’t…”

“They did,” Arashi agrees, since it’s not like he can deny it.  “But...they hurt me because they thought I had information that could save them.  It doesn’t make what they did better, but their reason for doing it was…”

“Fuck,” Leo starts shaking even harder.  “Sena tried to tell me last night but I wouldn’t listen...they were all doing it because Tenshouin…”

“Nazuna-nii takes care of kids he finds, from what I hear,” Mika blinks as he walks out of the washroom.  “They’re kinda like junior agents, only I dunno if they’re even field-trained.  I still don’t forgive him for betrayin’ Valkyrie the way he did, but I also don’t blame him for wantin’ to keep his family safe, y’know?”

“And I call Tenshouin a monster,” Leo sounds bitter.  “When I’m the one who just…”

“Hey,” Arashi says softly, brushing his fingers through Leo’s unruly hair.  “He’s still alive and probably in better shape than I was, so in the end, it’s nothing that can’t be mended.”

“Ugh, I should have just listened to that stupid Sena last night,” Leo’s pouting now, childish all of a sudden, and Arashi has to laugh at the abrupt personality shift.  “He told you, right?  Idi~ot, leaving me alone in bed like that!”

“He’s cautious, Ou-sama,” Arashi replies, not really wanting to get into whatever _thing_ Leo and Izumi have.  It’s too complicated for him, really, since in this case he mostly agrees with Leo about not ignoring a good thing when it’s right in front of him.  “But I think you’re good for each other.”

“Yeah, well,” Leo huffs and flops down beside Arashi, laying his head in the younger man’s lap.  “Maybe he’s right. _I_ wouldn’t want to follow me after what I did.”

“Hey,” Mika looks scared before he reaches out and swipes his fingers at Leo’s shoulder, like he wants to offer comfort but isn’t sure if it’s acceptable.  “Uh...look, I know Nazuna-nii.  Or I used ta, anyway, and if he knows why y’ did it...he’s not gonna be mad.  He might be a little scared of ya, but…”

“Anyone would be,” Arashi says quietly.  “If I ever came face-to-face with... _him_ …again, I don’t even think I’d be able to function.”

“We need to plan,” Leo says suddenly, sitting up abruptly.  “Damn it.  Tenshouin wants us to focus on each other, and I just...I just fell for it.  We need his group, and yours,” he looks at Mika.  “Sorry, Naru, but that means…”

“I know,” Arashi’s lips tighten into a thin line.  The idea of being aligned with the man who’d…

But they have to.  He knows it.  

“Just keep him away from me, Ou-sama.  Make it clear that he’s not welcome here,” he doesn’t feel right making demands like that, but for his own sanity, he needs to.  

“Of course,” Leo grabs Arashi’s hand and lifts it to his lips, kissing the back of his fingers.  “With our four groups, and...I’ll get Rittsu to summon his brother, we’ve got Keito watching from the inside…”

“We have a chance,” Arashi nods.  “It’s still not going to be easy since Tenshouin’s well-protected, but at least we can start figuring out what moves we _can_ make.”

“Ritsu-kun has a brother?” Mika blinks, and Leo nods slowly.  

“Yeah.  The demon king.  I never knew him that well, even back at the Agency, but…”

“Huh,” Mika narrows his eyes.  “Oh!  Yeah, Oshi-san mentioned somethin’ about Rei-san havin’ a brother with Knights and I guess there aren’t that many vampires around so I shoulda connected the dots…”

“He’s gone underground, from what we can tell,” Arashi puts in.  “But he’ll come running as soon as Ritsu-chan calls.”

“Tomorrow, then,” Leo stretches out a little, the gleam in his eyes turning into something a lot more playful now that he seems to be relaxing.  “But I think you promised me you’d show me, right?” he slips a hand under the blankets and Arashi hums softly.  “Naru~”

“Ou-sama,” he whispers.  “What about Izumi-chan…”

“He’s the one who left _me,”_ Leo points out.  “But you and your bird...have you even done more than kissing?”

“ ‘s none-a yer business,” Mika squawks, his cheeks red.  “Naru-chan…”

“You’re too much for him, Ou-sama,” Arashi chuckles, undoing his shirt and letting it fall open.  “But I don’t know how you could consider seeing my scars as any kind of foreplay.”

Leo helps him take the shirt off, his green eyes softening as he looks down at Arashi.  Most of the bandages are gone now even if the marks on his skin aren’t going to fade to easily.  His back is the worst, though at least he doesn’t have to look at it much, but he’d been whipped so often that it was little more than one massive chunk of scar tissue that would never heal completely.  

“Shit…” Leo touches his shoulder first with his fingertips, and then Arashi feels his lips press there.  “Naru, my Queen, my soldier…”

“Ou-sama,” Arashi sighs, suddenly feeling like he’s on the verge of tears.  “Don’t.”

“No,” Leo says firmly.  “These marks...they’re proof of your loyalty to me.  You protected your King until the end.”

“Any of us would,” Arashi protests, reaching for Mika’s hand and gripping it tightly.  “I’m not special.”

“I think you’re very special,” Leo murmurs.  “Very special and very deserving of feeling good.  Let your crow touch you, hmm?  Let me watch?”

“You really are a sweet-talker,” Arashi chuckles.  “Well, I’m not against it.  It’s been a while since I’ve…”

“Y’ really want this?” Mika asks softly, the blush on his cheeks spreading all the way to the tips of his ears now.  “I’m prob’ly not very good, y’know, I’ve never really done it with anyone but myself.”

“I’ll guide you, if you want,” Leo smiles and Mika pulls back a little.  “Seriously, I’m not that scary, am I?”

“Uh w-well...I don’ do very good with strangers, y’see…”

“Wahaha, I’m not really a stranger anymore!  I’m in bed with you!” Leo winks, leaning across Arashi and clumsily catching Mika’s lips.  Mika flails for a moment before wrapping his arms around Leo, both of them managing to somehow _not_ fall on top of Arashi and ending up beside him.  

Leo kisses Mika again, cupping his face and attacking his lips enthusiastically.  And it’s not that Arashi doesn’t trust Leo, because he does, but he knows how easily Mika can get overwhelmed and Leo’s very presence is, at the best of times, barely short of overwhelming. 

Mika, though, seems to be enjoying himself.  His arms are wrapped around Leo’s back, eyes half-closed as he lets Leo pin him to the bed.  

It’s...fuck, Arashi didn’t think he’d be getting turned on from seeing his King kiss his...whatever Mika was to him now...but it really _has_ been too long and his body is reacting just by having them close.  

“Mm,” Leo pulls back with a rather loud smack, leaving Mika looking half-dazed, and promptly straddles Arashi’s hips.  “Your turn.”

Arashi smiles and tugs Leo closer, letting himself relax into the kiss.  Leo’s hands explore his chest, catching on the rough skin of his scars, and Arashi shivers.  It’s just another reminder, he thinks sadly.  He’d love nothing more than to forget how broken he is for _one night,_ but even simple touches bring him back to reality.  

“Naru,” Leo whispers.  “You’re beautiful.  That’s the only way I see you.  Don’t worry,” he vows, and Arashi really can’t do anything but believe him since Leo isn’t the type to lie about things like this.  “Take your pants off.”

“You get right to the point, hmm?” Arashi shifts a little so he can shove his pajama pants down, not really feeling any shame about getting naked.  

Mika’s seen him enough, after all, and at least _that_ part of his body looks the same as it used to.  

Leo grins, his eyes roving over Arashi.  “Your bird is very, very lucky.”

“I’m the lucky one,” Arashi shakes his head, motioning Mika to move closer.  “Come on, honey.  Touch me.”

“Y’ don’ really have any shame about it, huh?” Mika grins sheepishly, his fingers brushing lightly against Arashi’s thigh.  

“Why should he?” Leo asks, feline eyes narrowed and a sly smile on his lips.  “Look at him.”

“I know,” Mika trails one finger slowly up Arashi’s cock, and while it’s supposed to be exploratory rather than teasing, Arashi really can’t tell the difference right now and his hips buck forward unconsciously. “Uh…”

“You’ll have plenty of time to take it slow later,” Leo wraps an arm around Mika’s waist, his mouth brushing the shell of Mika’s ear.  “He needs it fast and messy tonight.”

“Okay,” Mika looks determined, his brow furrowed.  “Um…”

“Wait!” Leo suddenly shouts, much too loud, and Mika flinches.  “Lube!  Naru, do you have any?”

“Top drawer,” Arashi gestures toward the dresser, feeling his cheeks heat up.  “Izumi-chan and I learned pretty fast that we both needed to have some close.”

“Yay!” Leo leaps off the bed and Arashi looks at Mika, noticing the boy isn’t meeting his eyes.  

“Darling, what’s wrong?” he asks, and Mika gasps like he hadn’t expected Arashi to catch on.  

“Uh...I dunno, jes when y’ talk about you and...other guys, I guess… ‘m not gonna be that good,” he shrugs his shoulders listlessly.  

“Sena’s an idi~ot,” Leo chimes in, not all that helpfully.  “So don’t worry about him!”

“But I…”

“I don’t care how much experience you have, you know,” Arashi leans back against the headboard, spreading his legs a little. “It’s _you,_ so it’s going to be good.”

“Now who’s the sweet-talker?” Leo asks, tossing the lube onto the bed and sliding up behind Mika again.  “There.  Put some of that in your palm and it’ll make it better.”

“Okay,” Mika does, running his fingers through the slickness.  Leo pulls Mika mostly into his lap, shuffling them both closer, and the tension leaves Mika’s shoulders after a few seconds.  “I dunno why Oshi-san’s so afraid of you,” he finally says, which only makes Leo laugh brightly.  

“Ah!  Well, I’ve got a reputation, you see, and it’s not exactly a lie, so!  It’s better if my rivals are intimidated!” Leo explains.  “But I’m not like that all the time.”

“Yer pretty nice right now,” Mika admits, laughing when Leo growls playfully and nips at his ear again.  

“Cute,” Arashi drawls, swallowing down the instinct to suppress his old habits and deciding that, right now, it’s safe to give into them.  “But we’re here for me, aren’t we?  I’m feeling a little neglected,” he pouts.  

“Ah!  Sorry, sorry!” Leo leans over and kisses him again.  “But you’re right!”

Mika spreads the lube over his fingers, reaching out and gripping Arashi’s cock more surely this time.  “Tell me if it feels good, okay?”

“It will,” Arashi’s pretty sure of that, and he’s also pretty sure that his stamina right now is going to be _really_ unimpressive but he doesn’t think he’ll be judged too much for that.  

“Put on a show for us, Naru,” Leo’s tone is only slightly commanding and Arashi feels compelled to obey, arching his back and pushing his hips forward.  “My brave, beautiful knight.”

“Ou-sama…” he whispers, gasping when Mika runs his thumb over the very head of his dick, pressing lightly against the slit.  “Mika-chan, _fuck…_ ”

“Go a little faster,” Leo urges Mika, breathing into his ear.  “Bring him to the edge but don’t let him go over just yet.”

“Mm,” Mika nods, flicking his wrist, the lube making it even easier for his hand to slide quickly.  

“Watch him and stop when he’s close,” Leo instructs, although Arashi’s barely paying attention to his words anymore because all of his focus is narrowed down to Mika touching him.  

“Okay,” Mika’s hand moves faster, his rhythm never faltering, and Arashi can feel his breathing getting heavier and heavier.  

“He’s quiet, huh?” Leo sounds surprised, and Arashi’s breath stutters for a second before breaking into even pants.  “It’s really hot.”

Mika pulls back then and a needy whine slips from Arashi’s throat, his body trembling with the urge to orgasm, but…

But Leo said he couldn’t, and he’s not going to disobey his king this time.  

“Beautiful,” Leo says again, awe coloring his voice.  “He deserves this,” he whispers into Mika’s ear, almost too low for Arashi to hear.  “Make him come.”

Arashi fists his hands in the sheets, clutching at the fabric and tightening his muscles because he wants to hold on a little longer, but Mika barely gets a hand wrapped around him again before he’s coming with a choked-off sob.  

He feels dazed afterward, like nothing is quite real, but Leo’s lips are on his again and he kisses back without thinking.  “Naru, you’re perfect,” Leo whispers.  

“Ou-sama,” Arashi sighs, pulling Leo closer.  “Thank you.”

“No.  Thank _you,”_ Leo taps the tip of his nose with a finger.  “Both of you.  I needed to see that after today,” he looks strangely contemplative before shrugging and pulling his shirt off.  “But now I wanna sleep!”

“You don’t need…” Arashi gestures vaguely, because he feels guilty about being the only one to get off.  

“Hmm...nope!  Just wanted to watch you!” he winks and kicks his pants off, completely unashamed of his nudity.  

“Mika-chan…”

“I’m okay,” Mika grins sheepishly at him.  “I was kinda too into watchin’ you that I didn’t even think about gettin’ hard,” he admits, and it’s flattering even though Arashi can feel a blush rising on his cheeks at the honest words.  

“You definitely need to get naked, though,” Leo decides, tugging at Mika’s clothes.  “Off!”

“Ou-sama, Mika-chan isn’t as comfortable with that sort of thing as you are,” Arashi looks down at the cooling mess on his stomach and wrinkles his nose.  “I need a towel.”

“I’ll get it!  You take his clothes off in the meantime!” Leo jumps up and races to the washroom, and Arashi can hear him clattering around in the vanity.  

“You don’t have to listen to him,” he tells Mika, his fingers toying with the hem of the other man’s shirt.  

“Nah, ‘s fine.  You’ve seen me b’fore and he’s...I feel safe with him, y’know?  ‘S weird,” Mika wrinkles his nose but Arashi can only agree.  Leo has that effect on people, really, and it’s part of the reason he can find people to follow him so easily.  

“Catch!”

Arashi squawks as the wet washcloth hits him in the face, though any annoyance he feels gets swept away at the sound of Mika’s tinkling laugh.  

He grumbles anyway, just to let Leo know how he feels about this, and wipes himself off.  Leo, meanwhile, has decided he’s indeed very serious about getting Mika naked and is quite happily undressing him, his hands seeking out every inch of uncovered skin.  

Mika lets out a few croaks, his throaty noises sounding more bird-like than ever.  Arashi’s never really heard him like this before, but he looks happy and a little embarrassed to have this sort of attention on him.  

“There we go,” Leo throws the clothes off to the side, snuggling down into the pillow and pulling Mika with him.  Mika curls into his chest, yawning and showing his cute little fangs, and he looks more content than Arashi would have first thought to have Leo naked and pressed against him.  

It makes Arashi feel incredibly warm inside to watch them, and he lies down behind Leo and hides his face against the shorter man’s shoulder.  

“Naru,” Leo murmurs, reaching for Arashi’s arm and pulling it around his waist.  Arashi lets their fingers link together, closing his eyes.

Nothing’s fixed yet, he reminds himself.  If Tsukasa can smooth things over with Ra*bits and _somehow_ they can get all of their groups together, they might have a chance, but…

But right now, he doesn’t need to worry.  

Right now, he can just enjoy being in this moment, and that’s exactly what he’s going to do.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the wait on this chapter, but real life has been extremely busy the last month so finding time to write has been harder than usual! This chapter is extra-long, though, so I hope that makes up for it!
> 
> As always, feel free to leave your thoughts! Feedback is a great motivator :)


	10. Chapter 10

He’s making a giant mistake.

He’s standing on the doorstep of an enemy base, unarmed, with said enemy base’s leader in his arms still covered in blood and obviously hurt.  

And yet, instead of dropping Nito off and running for his life, he’s waiting there like he wants to make a personal delivery. 

He knows they had a gun last time, and despite how terrified they’d all seemed, this time Izumi’s not with him and there’s not much he can do in his current position.  It’s not like he has a death wish or anything, but the idea that  _ he  _ can be the reason they get another group to align with theirs  _ might  _ be going to his head and clouding his judgment the tiniest bit.  

The door opening doesn’t give him any more time to think about it, however, and he holds Nito’s body in front of him like a shield just in case they decide to shoot first.  

He hears a choked-off sob and sees the boy with the brown hair from last time, his hands balled into fists and a look of fury in his eyes like he wants to come charging out at Tsukasa. 

“Mitsuru, calm down,” the one who’d been holding the gun last time says firmly.  

“Is-is he okay?” 

It’s spoken quietly and Tsukasa blinks, turning to the blue-haired boy.  “I believe my fellow Knights got to him before Leader could do too much damage.  He will require care for a while, but I do not think his injuries are life-threatening.”

“That’s a relief,” he smiles a little.  “Thank you for bringing him back.”

“Here,” the second boy reaches out and Tsukasa passes Nito over, realizing now that he’s standing in their entrance wearing blood-stained coveralls.  “Well, I guess if that’s all…”

“Do you want a cup of tea?” the blue-haired boy asks, blushing a little after he seemingly realizes what he’s said.  “Th-that is, you came all this way, so it would be rude to send you back so soon.”

“Oh,” Tsukasa says slowly, a rather large part of him wondering what the catch is here.  This doesn’t seem like a trap, and none of Ra*bits appear shrewd enough to concoct something so devious, but on the other hand…

Still, he’s here to get them to ally with Knights, so if that means drinking tea with the enemy...he can handle it. 

“I would love to.  Thank you,” he pulls off the coveralls and drops them on the step, reminding himself to pick them up later or else Ritsu would be mad at him for a week. 

“Great,” the boy smiles and gestures to a room off of the foyer.  “Just in here.”

“I’ll take Nii-chan to his bedroom and see what I can do for him,” the boy holding Nito declares.  “Mitsuru, come with me and grab the first aid kit, okay?”

“Yep!” the brown-haired boy dashes off, his previous bad mood apparently gone, and Tsukasa’s guide smiles at his antics before heading to the kitchen.  

“Pardon me, I’ve been rude.  My name is Hajime,” he bows slightly, hair falling into his eyes.  His voice, Tsukasa notices now that he’s allowing himself to relax, is incredibly soft and soothing.  “You can sit down, if you wish.”

“Thank you.  I’m…” he pauses, wondering if he should give his real name, but then...he went to the Agency and his family’s rather well-known, so anyone could find out easily enough.  “Tsukasa.”

“I know, Suou-kun,” Hajime replies, still in that quiet voice.  “You were unmistakable.”

“I see,” Tsukasa doesn’t really feel flattered, but it’s still nice to hear even if all Hajime might know about him is that he’s rich.  “Well, thank you for your hospitality.  I’m aware that we did not get off on the best foot, but I want you to know we have no intention of being your enemies.”

“Did Nii-chan...did he tell you that…”

“He mentioned that the reason he did what he did was because Tenshouin made threats toward you,” he replies, getting a nod from Hajime.  “That is understandable and personally I hold no ill-will to you because of it.”

“Thank you,” Hajime sighs.  “I don’t want us to be enemies...you were really nice the last time,” he smiles over his shoulder as he pulls the tea kettle out.  “I don’t know what the others will say, but…”

“Our hope, I believe, is that if enough groups can rally against Tenshouin, we may be able to displace him as such a feared figure,” Tsukasa clears his throat and leans forward on the table.  “All of us have reasons to want revenge.”

“I can believe that,” Hajime sets the water to boil and comes to sit across from Tsukasa.  “Nii-chan doesn’t talk about Valkyrie much, but from what I can figure out...they hate this guy a lot, too.”

“Lots of people do.”

“Tomoya-kun!” Hajime stands up, fingers fiddling nervously with the front of his shirt.  “How is…”

“He’ll be fine,” Tomoya smiles.  “I want to get him bandaged up and he’ll need to rest, but…”

“Thank goodness,” Hajime beams, his entire face lighting up.  

“Yeah,” Tomoya looks relieved.  “Well, Mitsuru and I will make sure he’s comfortable and then I think we could all use some tea.”

“Of course,” Hajime turns back to the kettle, watching it with a serene smile on his face, and Tsukasa finds himself letting his guard down against his better judgment.  

These kids, though...they aren’t going to hurt him.  They’re friendly and cordial and probably not interested in violence at all, and Tsukasa feels comfortable here.  

It’s an escape of sorts, he thinks with a tiny shiver, especially with all of the sexual tension that’s seeping through Knights’ base lately.  Between Ritsu and Mao, Mika and Arashi, and Izumi and Leader…

Yeah.  Tsukasa knew what was going on there, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t  _ feel  _ the spark between them last night in the kitchen, but that left him out in the cold and it was really, _really_ uncomfortable to be the odd man out in a situation like that.  

If he could come here to visit, though, it might not be so bad.  

“Tea’s ready!” Hajime announces, setting a cup in front of him, and Tsukasa thanks him and settles back in his chair.  

All things considered, he doesn’t think he’ll have any issues getting Ra*bits to agree to ally with them, and that’s something he can feel at least a little proud about. 

-

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

“Wha-” Mao manages to get about half a word out before a hand is clasped over his mouth and his body is wrapped in a grip so tight he can’t even move.  “Mm!”

“Now, now,” the voice in his ear is like poisoned silk, sliding around him and making his body react in ways he doesn’t even want to consider.  “You have nothing to fear from me.”

Mao can hear his heart beating in his ears, a rapid staccato to go along with the shallow breaths he’s taking.  

“I can’t get inside, you see, because my darling brother has done something to keep me out and I need a human to grant me permission again,” the voice turns into a resigned sigh and Mao feels his head start to clear, the heady mix of arousal and fear subsiding slightly.

If he’d been a little less taken off-guard, he might have recognized the feeling as being very similar to what Ritsu had done the first time they’d met, but now…

“Good boy,” the man lets go of him and Mao turns, his breath catching in his throat because he’d always thought Ritsu was attractive, but this man…

“R-Rei?” he asks softly, receiving a toothy grin in return. 

“You smell like my brother.  I knew I could trust you,” Rei settles himself into an easy stance, giving Mao a chance to look him over.  

Ritsu’s brand of vampire seemed to rely on being sleepy and unassumingly pretty, but Rei oozes sexuality from every pore.  His hair falls to his shoulders in easy waves, red eyes half-closed like he's seeking out his next meal, and he looks as if every move he makes is calculated and done with an effortless sort of grace.  

He’a dangerous - extremely so - and Mao finds himself really grateful that this man...vampire...is on their side.  

“I’m Mao,” he says slowly, watching the look on Rei’s face morph into a kindly smile.  

“Mao-kun.  I’m glad to meet you,” Rei bows his head slightly and Mao breathes out, letting his body relax.  “Now, it wouldn’t do to have me standing out here where Tenshouin-kun might spy me out of hiding, so may I come in?”

“Uh...yeah, of course!” Mao steps back, preparing to lead Rei inside when he hears another voice.  

“Rei?”

“Ah!” Rei turns around, his smile even brighter now.  “My friend!  It has been far too long!”

The man striding up the walkway is tall, with short pink hair and calculating eyes, and the long overcoat he’s wearing swirls around his calves in a fashion that’s altogether too dramatic for Mao’s tastes.  

He reaches to grip Rei’s shoulder, his lips tightening into a thin smile as Rei pulls him into a proper hug.  “It’s good to see you.  Natsume…”

“Is with me.  I needed to keep an eye on him,” the stranger replies.  “What with Wataru being…”

“Yes.  You were obviously the best choice,” Rei nods.  “I’m glad to fight by your side, Shu.”

And oh, Mao realizes,  _ this  _ is Itsuki.  He’s not quite sure what he was expecting from the little he’d heard from Leo, but Mika seemed to speak about his ‘Oshi-san’ like he was fearsome and while Shu definitely had a _presence_ about him, he wasn’t particularly large or frightening in appearance.  

“You.  You’re the one who broke into my base and stole my doll away,” he whips around to look at Mao and Mao, despite his thoughts just a few seconds earlier, certainly  _ feels  _ afraid of him.  “You’re a good agent,” he finally concedes, sounding like the words are being pulled from his throat without his consent, but Mao has a feeling it’s a pretty big compliment coming from him.  

“Well, uh, I guess you want to see Tsukinaga?”

“He’s the one who invited us, so yes,” Shu sniffs, walking into the entrance of the base like he’s been there a thousand times before.  

“Don’t mind him.  He’s always prickly,” Rei leans in much too close to whisper this, following after Shu, and Mao pulls the outer door closed before entering the code to let them into the base.  

-

“ _ Ritsu!” _

“Die,” Ritsu replies, sneering as his brother attempts to smother him in a hug.  He fends him off pretty easily, which tells Mao that Rei’s not using his full strength, but eventually he manages to get an arm around Ritsu and the younger vampire sighs.  “Anija.”

“My dearest little brother,” Rei’s voice is muffled in Ritsu’s shoulder and Ritsu eventually, slowly, moves his arms to hold him just as tightly.  “I’ve missed you.”

“I can’t say I feel the same,” Ritsu replies, but from the way his nose is buried in Rei’s hair and the content smile on his lips, Mao knows he’s lying.  “You’ve met Maa-kun, I see?”

“I like him,” Rei replies, and Mao sees Ritsu’s smile get a little bigger.  “I can tell  _ you  _ like him.”

“Mm,” Ritsu replies, his body sinking against Rei’s comfortably now.  Mao feels like he’s intruding a little and decides to leave them be, a little amazed at the shift in Rei’s personality from earlier.  He seems more playful and almost childish around Ritsu, but Mao can tell despite all of the things Ritsu’s said to him in the past that he does love his brother very much.  

“Where’s Kagehira?” Shu’s hand lands heavily on his shoulder and Mao gulps, stepping away quickly.  “I need to see him.”

“He’s…” Mao points down the hallway, starting to walk and trusting Shu to follow, and when he gets to Arashi’s door he knocks softly.  “Narukami?”

“What is it?” Arashi replies, so Mao pushes the door open and lets Shu take the lead. 

“Kagehira, I’ve come to…”

“Oshi-san!”

Mika launches himself at Shu, who catches his weight rather easily, and then Mika’s sobbing and mumbling against his collar even while Shu is complaining about his clothes being ‘soaked through with tears’.  

“Thank you for looking after him,” Shu eventually looks at Arashi, who meets his eyes and shrugs.  

“It was the least I could do after everything he’s done for me,” 

“Is he fit to travel?” Shu asks, and Mao can see Arashi’s shoulders tense.  

“He’ll be fine,” Arashi replies, lips drawn into a thin, insincere smile.  “He should get home anyway.”

“If y’ want me t’ stay…”

“I’m not trying to steal him from you,” Shu promises, his fingers combing through Mika’s hair and working out the tangles.  “Any fool can see you two need each other.”

“I mean...I do kinda wanna go home fer a bit, but I’ll come back?” Mika peeks at Arashi from around Shu’s shoulder.  “ ‘s that okay?”

“Of course honey,” Arashi’s smile is warmer this time.  “You know you’re always welcome.”

“In any case, the first thing I need to do is meet with Tsukinaga,” he gently pries MIka off of him.  “It’s just Rei and I today?”

“I think so,” Mao replies from the doorway.  “The only other group that might join us right now is…”

“Nito’s,” Shu purses his lips.  “Yes.  Well.  I’m quite content with him not being here today since I’m not sure I’m prepared to face him yet,” he sweeps dramatically out of the room, stopping only to clench the doorframe much too tightly with one hand.  “If I may ask, however...how is he?”

“He’ll be fine, from what I’ve heard,” Mao knows he needs to tread carefully here since, from what he’s gathered, Shu and Nazuna have a fairly complicated past.  

“It’s of no concern to me either way,” Shu declares, heading down the hall - in the wrong direction - and Mao rushes after him to steer him back toward the kitchen where Leo’s supposed to be.  

He has a feeling things are going to get a lot livelier around here, and while he’s used to the atmosphere with Knights by now...it means that plans are finally being set in motion. 

And that?  

That’s a good thing.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't gotten a whole lot of feedback on the last couple of chapters so if you're reading, feel free to leave a comment! 
> 
> That being said, thank you to everyone that *is* reading and leaving kudos as well, it's very appreciated :)


	11. Chapter 11

“Need a sleeping partner tonight?”

“If it’s you?  Of course,” Arashi pats the bed beside him, watching Izumi hover in the doorway before he strides over with purpose and sits.  His posture is tense, back rigid as he stays completely upright.  “You know…”

“It’s not like anyone can keep a fucking secret around here,” Izumi snorts, glancing at Arashi through the darkness.  “Especially not since he needs to post a damn picture on the fridge every time someone’s sharing a bed.”

“He didn’t with you,” Arashi feels the need to point out, but it’s certainly one of Leo’s more...invasive quirks.  He’d thrown up a peace sign and a wink and Mika had mostly hid behind Leo’s shoulder but since it was easy to tell they were all at least half-naked, Arashi knew that Leo had  _ wanted  _ Izumi to see it.  

“Yeah,” Izumi grumbles.  “But right now I’m not sure if it’s because he’s ashamed of me or because he actually values what we have.  Him hopping into bed with you and your crow a few hours later kind of makes me believe it’s the first one.”

“Honey,” Arashi clicks his tongue, rubbing Izumi’s back.  “C’mere.”

“Why am I so fucked up over him, Naru-kun?” Izumi cuddles into his shoulder, closing his eyes.  

“Because you’re in love with him,” Arashi taps his finger against the end of Izumi’s nose.  “And he’s in love with you.  But both of you are too stubborn to admit it.”

“We’re not good for each other.  We’ve proven that over and over again,” Izumi sounds resigned.  “But you...what did you...do with him?”

“Nothing,” Arashi replies.  “Well, to be honest, he directed Mika with giving me a handjob.  That was it.  Oh, and he kissed both of us, but…”

“But that’s just Leo-kun,” Izumi sighs, and Arashi notices the name immediately.  It’s good, because Izumi looking at Leo as an equal means he’s being much more careful about this than when he’s looking at Leo as some sort of King-figure that’s above him.  

“You know I’m on both of your sides here,” Arashi murmurs.  “But more than anything I just want you to be happy.”

“I know,” Izumi wraps an arm around his waist, shifting down a little so he’s more comfortable.  “I just don’t think it’s possible with the two of us.”

“Mm,” Arashi nuzzles his nose into Izumi’s hair, breathing him in.  “Do you think...you need someone else?”

“Huh?” Izumi sounds confused for a moment before his body goes limp again.  “You mean like...a third party?”

“Yeah,” Arashi hums.  “Not that you want to hear this, but with us...it was like Mika and I could both keep him occupied and he was su~per focused.”

“It’s a thought, at least,” he grunts.  “I honestly feel like he and I...we need someone to balance us out or else we’ll just keep going in circles.”

“Well, honey, two charming boys like you?  I’m sure it’ll be easy to find someone willing to hop in bed,” Arashi winks and Izumi groans, biting his shoulder lightly.  “Hey!”

“Shut up,” Izumi replies, snuggling even closer.  “I really wanted to crawl in with you and your bird the other night, y’know.”

“You should have,” Arashi says quietly.  “You’re always welcome, and it probably would have been better than sleeping alone with just your thoughts for company.”

“Now I know,” Izumi traces his fingers lightly over one of the many scars lining Arashi’s arms, following it up to his shoulder.  “How are you still so fucking beautiful?  It’s  _ so  _ unfair.”

“I’m glad you still see me that way,” Arashi admits, the tone of his voice soft and thoughtful.  “I don’t see myself like that, not anymore.”

“You’re gorgeous. Always will be,” Izumi says firmly.  “This…” he gestures vaguely.  “This doesn’t change a damn thing.”

“I know that’s not true,” Arashi replies.  “But I suppose the only people whose opinions I care about seem to believe it so that should be enough, hmm?”

“It isn’t, though.  Sometimes,” Izumi says it like he knows damn well and Arashi’s aware that, in some ways, he does.  “But I’ll remind you if you forget.”

“You mean you’ll threaten me,” Arashi counters, since Izumi will never do anything nice without trying to cover it up somehow.  

“Same thing,” Izumi shrugs, his fingers still sliding over Arashi’s skin.  “Do you ever think it could be easier if we just…”

“Oh, honey, no,” Arashi laughs, covering his mouth a second later.  “No.  We’d drive each other crazy if we were dating.  I love you, but not like that.”

“Thanks for making me feel  _ so good  _ about myself,” Izumi flicks his forehead irritably.  “And that wasn’t even what I asked!”

“I know,” Arashi turns serious again.  “And if you mean, easier than the mess you have with Ou-sama?  Yes.  But sometimes the easiest things aren’t the best ones,” he hums and Izumi nuzzles against his throat.  

“Was he worth almost dying?” Izumi asks quietly and Arashi sighs, brushing the other man’s silver hair back.  

“If the alternative was never having met him at all?  Yes,” he whispers, pulling Izumi up higher.  

“I hope you know if that shithead who tortured you ever sets foot in this base I’ll fucking kill him.  I don’t care what Ou-sama says,” Izumi growls and Arashi can’t help but smile, even though he knows Izumi wouldn’t.  

“I know,” he says instead, resting his forehead against Izumi’s and breathing with him.  “Don’t remind me of that right now.”

“Sorry,” Izumi breathes, the word barely a puff of air.  “But I’m serious.  Nobody will ever hurt you if I can help it.”

“I _know_ , honey,” Arashi kisses his forehead and settles down a little more.  “You’re my honest to goodness knight in shining armor.”

“Shut up,” Izumi grumbles, wrapping Arashi up a little tighter.  Arashi strokes his back until both of them fall asleep, content and warm in each other’s arms.  

-

Mao doesn’t know what time it is, other than ‘late’, but his internal clock is telling him it’s still before dawn. 

Either way, he’s thirsty, and Ritsu is actually sleeping at night for once so he slides out of bed and makes his way to the kitchen for a glass of water.  

He nearly jumps out of his skin when he’s hailed by somebody sitting at the table, but one of the living room lamps is still on and the soft glow illuminates Rei sitting there, a glass of wine held lazily in his hand.  

“I was hoping it would be you,” Rei hums, baring his fangs and leaning casually back in his chair.  “I want to speak to the man who’s stolen my brother’s proverbial heart.”

“I wanted to talk to you, too,” Mao nods, getting his water and joining Rei at the table.  “Though from everything Ritsu’s said about you I kind of expected you to be horrible.”

“My brother and I have a...complicated relationship,” Rei downs the rest of his wine before setting his glass down.  “I suppose it’s inevitable, given how long we’ve been alive, but needless to say I haven’t always done right by him.”

“He’s hard to please sometimes,” Mao chuckles, reaching to rub the side of his neck.  

“Well, you’ll have a long time to figure him out, I hope.  Vampires mate for life...well, the life of the human they choose, at least,” Rei says it so  _ casually _ and while Mao had suspected that might be the case, hearing it is…

“Anija, don’t scare him,” Ritsu yawns as he comes into the kitchen, dropping himself onto Mao’s lap instead of pulling over another chair.  

“That’s not my intention,” Rei hums, watching them both with a fond smile.  “I’m happy for you.”

Ritsu closes his eyes, leaning his head on Mao’s shoulder.  “So what’s the plan?  What did you and Ou-sama talk about?”

“Mostly about how to proceed with Tenshouin.  He was very adamant about having an inside source, although getting a name out of him was surprisingly difficult,” Rei taps his fingers against the arm of the chair.  “There aren’t too many people in Tenshouin’s inner circle that would betray him, however, so that  _ bozu  _ had better be careful.”

“Who?” Mao blinks, and Rei looks at him with a rather calculating gaze.  

“Hasumi,” Ritsu answers, the tail end of the name cutting off in a yawn.  “He and Anija...well…”

“We used to be on the same team, before he decided to pledge his loyalty solely to Tenshouin,” Rei smiles thinly.  “I take it you know him?”

“He’s the one who sent me here,” Mao replies.  “To save me.”

“He was always soft,” Rei chuckles, something wistful in his eyes.  

“You and he were never…”

“Hmm?  No.  No, we always knew we were using each other, I think,” Rei looks sad, the corners of his lips turned down.  “He’s far too loyal to Tenshouin to ever oppose him, though if what you’re saying is true, that might no longer be the case.”

“I think…” Mao frowns, because he’s not exactly privy to Keito’s inner thoughts.  “I don’t think he’d ever go against him personally, but if he can...help others do it, he will.  He seems to realize that Tenshouin’s going too far.”

“Perhaps I’ll get the chance to see him again, in that case,” Rei leans back in the chair and Ritsu gives him a stern look.  “Not to do anything inappropriate!  But under all the posturing and trying to outsmart each other, we liked each other, and it would be nice to repair that.”

“As long as that’s all it is,” Ritsu sniffs, and Mao has to hide his smile in Ritsu’s hair because the younger vampire is doing a pretty poor job at pretending he doesn’t care for his brother right now.  “You need to find someone else to lust over.”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about my needs,” Rei chuckles darkly.  

“Ugh, that already tells me more than I _ever_ wanted to know,” Ritsu sticks his tongue out at Rei.  “Someone from your team, then.”

“Someone, indeed.  It’s not the idyllic situation you have with Mao-kun here, but for what I need, it works,” he doesn’t seem inclined to say more and Mao’s still a little confused as to how relationships or mating or _whatever_ with vampires works, but there’s not much to do other than take Rei’s word for it.  “I think I’ve overstayed, though, so I should be off.  It’s safer for me to leave at night.”

“Good riddance,” Ritsu replies, snapping at Rei when the older vampire reaches to ruffle his hair.  

“Call me whenever we’re having another meeting.  Or whenever that  _ bozu  _ comes to visit.  I want to surprise him,” Rei lifts one hand in a lazy wave and Ritsu waits for him to get halfway down the corridor before he gets up from Mao’s lap. 

“He needs someone to let him out,” Ritsu explains when Mao raises an eyebrow questioningly.  “Don’t give me that look.  I’m just going so I can set up the wards again that won’t let him come in next time,” he stomps off down the hall and Mao stifles his laughter as best he can.  

Those two are something else, he thinks fondly, but in a way it’s a relief to know that even if... _when_...he’s not able to anymore, Ritsu will always have someone to look out for him.  

-

“You’re sure it’s okay for me to be here?”

“If you wish to see Kagehira-san and are unwilling to risk running into Itsuki-san, I think it is the best option,” Tsukasa lets them both into the base, watching Nazuna carefully to make sure he’s okay.  He can imagine how hard it must be to come back to a place where your only memories are pain and suffering, but Nazuna’s proving to be a lot stronger than Tsukasa originally gave him credit for.  

They’re not exactly friends, although Tsukasa has been spending a fair amount of time with Ra*bits and since Nazuna’s back on his feet again that means they’ve interacted quite a bit, but Nazuna’s always been determined to come back and explain things to Mika and Tsukasa didn’t see any reason to put it off longer.  

They need to keep planning, regardless, and that’s not something they can do without all of the leaders together.  If Nazuna can’t be around Shu, obviously things aren’t going to proceed, but maybe reconciling with Mika will be a start.  

“Leader might be around, however…” Tsukasa barely speaks the words before Leo comes out of the kitchen, a half-eaten piece of toast hanging from his mouth and a cup of coffee in his hand.  He stops and blinks, mumbling something around the toast.  “Leader, please clean your mouth out first,” Tsukasa taps Nazuna’s shoulder gently, trying to keep him from freezing up or panicking or something.  

Leo swallows the toast down with a rather giant effort, smacking his lips together and staring at Nazuna.  “You’re back.”

“I- I’m jush…” Nazuna’s words are slurring again and Tsukasa has realized by now that it only really happens when he’s nervous - not that he can blame him for having some nerves in this situation, of course.  “I’m here to see Mika-chin, that’sh all!”

“Nazu~” Leo says softly and Nazuna stops talking, his eyes widening.  “C’mere.”

“I’d rather not…”

“Come, come!” Leo bends down slowly to set his coffee cup on the floor, moving carefully like one would when they were trying to get a wild animal to trust them.  It’s a valid comparison, Tsukasa thinks, given Nazuna’s uncanny resemblance to the creature his group is named after.  He straightens up and spreads his arms, and Nazuna lets out a tiny sob.  “You think I’d do anything with Suo~ here?”

“No, I…” Nazuna blinks, and Tsukasa can see how wet his eyes are.  He looks over toward the younger man, and Tsukasa...well, he doesn’t know what Leo’s thinking half of the time, but he knows how guilty he feels for what happened. 

“It’s perfectly alright.  Leader will explain everything,” he pushes Nazuna’s shoulder forward a little and Nazuna takes the hint, walking stiffly toward Leo and squeaking when Leo wraps him up in a hug that’s probably much too tight for his still-healing injuries.  

“Nazu...they told me why you did it,” Leo murmurs, his nose buried in Nazuna’s golden hair.  “I’m sorry.  I was too much of a stubborn bastard to listen to reason before I hurt you.”

“It’s…” Nazuna eventually brings his arms up, fingers clutching at the back of Leo’s shirt.  “I understand.  I’m...I caused such a mess…”

“No,” Leo says firmly.  “It’s Tenshouin.  He’s the only one we should be blaming for this.”

“Yes.   _Yes_ ,” Nazuna agrees, and Tsukasa sees his eyes slipping closed as he lets himself be comforted by Leo’s embrace.  

“You’re so brave, little rabbit,” Leo hums.  “ _ So  _ brave.”

Nazuna turns his face against Leo’s neck, his shoulders shaking.  Leo strokes his back, talking too quietly for Tsukasa to hear, but eventually Nazuna calms and when he pulls away his eyes are red but he’s not crying anymore.  

“We’re in this together, okay?” Leo holds out his hand and Nazuna doesn’t hesitate to shake it, smiling a little.  

“Right.  Uh.  I did come here to see Mika-chin, though, so is he around?”

“Living room,” Leo looks at Tsukasa, who nods.  “I’m gonna get more toast.”

He rushes back into the kitchen, leaving Nazuna looking rather stunned, and Tsukasa walks up beside the older man.  “Shall we?”

“Yes,” Nazuna’s smile is tight and Tsukasa knows he’s nervous again, although he doubts Mika is that much of a threat.  He’s still over almost every day and spends more nights there than he does with Valkyrie, but Tsukasa has to assume that’s just what people in new relationships  _ do  _ since he hasn’t had any experience in the matter.  

Of course, Leo and Izumi aren’t like that, but Tsukasa still doesn’t really know what’s going on there so maybe it’s not the same.  

Tsukasa leads Nazuna over to the living area, stopping in front of the sofa where Mika and Arashi are curled up under the same blanket watching what looks like a cooking show on TV.  

“Excuse me, but…”

“Nazuna-nii?” Mika bristles immediately, his strange eyes narrowing.  “What’re you doin’ showin’ your face ‘round here again?”

“I came to see you,” Nazuna’s voice trembles slightly.  “I wanted…”

“Well, I don’t wanna see  _ you,”  _ Mika sniffs.  “Not after what y’did.”

“Mika-chin…”

“No,” Mika shakes his head stubbornly.  “I mean, not only did y’ abandon Valkyrie and leave Oshi-san real sad, but then you…” he curls into Arashi’s side, his words trailing off as he levels a glare at Nazuna.  

“I know what I did, and I’m not proud of it,” Nazuna stares down at the floor.  “I know I hurt Oshi-sa… Itsuki.  And I know I hurt  _ you _ .  And, well, I guess I ended up hurting a lot of other people along the way,” he sighs.  “I know you won’t believe a word I say, but I had reasons for leaving, and I hope that one day you’ll be able to find them out.”

Mika grumbles something under his breath, stopping only when Arashi shifts beside him.  

“I think you should go,” he says firmly.  “Mika-chan doesn’t want to see you, and I’m mostly sharing that opinion right now.”

“I’m sorry,” Nazuna bows his head.  “You didn’t owe me anything and you still made sure I didn’t die,” his voice breaks and Tsukasa reaches to awkwardly pat his shoulder again.  “Thank you.”

“I didn’t do it for you,” Arashi sighs.  “Knights didn’t need your blood on our hands, that’s all.”

“Right.  Still, thank you,” Nazuna straightens up and turns away.  “I’ll leave.”

“Hey,” Mika pipes up, causing Nazuna to stop moving.  “I know why y’ did it.  I know y’ wanted t’ protect yer family.  But...we were yer family once too, yeah?  So that’s why I can’t forgive ya.”

“I understand,” Nazuna lets out a shaky breath.  “I’ll have to come back for meetings, but I’ll try not to let you see me.”

“That’s prob’ly fer the best,” Mika agrees, turning back to the TV, and Nazuna walks out of the room quickly.  

“Leaving already?” Leo, apparently, has finally finished his toast, and he grabs Nazuna around the waist before he can get too far down the hallway.  

Nazuna leans into him, causing Leo to hug him tightly.  “He doesn’t hate you.  I’ve heard him talk about you before, you know?  Just give him time.”

“I don’t blame him for hating me.  I don’t blame him if he never forgives me, but I just…” Nazuna closes his eyes.  “Things with Valkyrie were...bad.  But none of that was his fault, and I hate that he got caught up in what Itsuki and I had going on.  No wonder he thinks I just left.”

“Hey!” Leo ruffles his hair.  “If you can forgive me for what I did to you, I know he’ll come around one day.  That kid’s too pure to hold a grudge for long!” 

“Thank you,” Nazuna glances up, blushing a little and giving Leo a shy smile.  “...Leo-chin.”

“Wahaha!” Leo laughs, spinning Nazuna around once before letting him go.  “Come back anytime, little rabbit!  I’ll wait for you!”

Nazuna nods, letting Tsukasa lead him down the hallway toward the exit of the base.  He looks...less troubled, at least, and Tsukasa thinks that even if he wasn’t able to work things out with Mika, he won’t be afraid to come back any longer.  

They need him, after all, so Tsukasa’s willing to count today as a victory nonetheless.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There wasn't a whole lot of action this chapter but there's a few important plot points that needed some set-up so that's mostly what this was! Thank you so much for the support on the last chapter and I hope you all enjoyed this one as well!


	12. Chapter 12

“Hello, _bozu.”_

“Sakuma,” Keito breathes out slowly, steeling himself before he looks up to meet Rei’s scarlet eyes.  “I should have known you’d be involved.”

“My brother lives here, you know, so it would be far stranger if I weren’t,” Rei hums, crossing his arms and regarding Keito shrewdly. “You look good.”

“You look...different.  Your hair,” Keito has no idea what he’s saying, but Rei looks older and more worn-out than he’s used to seeing him.  “We should...the meeting…”

“Ah.  Yes.  I suppose there’s no time to reminisce, is there,” Rei takes a step forward and Keito moves back, immediately defensive.  He can see how disappointed Rei is at the reaction, but really, they’re nothing to each other anymore.  

They never will be again.  

“We should go,” Keito turns to head toward the kitchen, hoping to run into Leo or somebody that will make this less awkward.  He can hear Rei behind him and forces himself to keep moving, not wanting to show any weakness.  This Rei...this isn’t the Rei he knew, so it hardly pays to feel remorse or regret for how it ended between them.  

“Ah, Keito!  Ritsu’s brother!” Leo greets them both enthusiastically, and Keito blinks at him because he appears to have a small blond man seated on his lap that he’s rather enthusiastically cuddling.  “This is Nazu!”

“Ra*bits,” Keito nods, and it makes sense, now.  

Or, well, his presence here makes sense, but from what he’s heard, Leo should be the last person he wants to be close to and yet they’re...like this.  

“Hello,” the man smiles shyly at them.  “I guess we’ll be working together from now on.”

“But you two are old friends, right?  Right?” Leo bounces in his seat and Nazuna squeaks and holds onto him tighter.  “You’re not acting like old friends!  Hug!”

“Tsukinaga, this is entirely unnecessary…”

“He’s right, Hasumi-chan,” Rei’s voice slides around him and Keito forces himself to stand still.  He’s not going to give in this time.  

He’s done it too many times in the past.  

He feels Rei’s arms around his waist and doesn’t move, not even when the vampire’s mouth presses against the back of his neck.  

“Keito,” Rei murmurs.  “Allow me this.”

“You’re incorrigible,” Keito replies, hating himself for his weakness as he turns around and pulls Rei closer.  “Sakuma…”

Rei hums, one hand sliding up into Keito’s hair and the other curling around his waist with familiar intimacy.  “It’s been too long.”

“I’m glad you’re ...well, I guess you can’t die, can you?” Keito turns his cheek against Rei’s shoulder, breathing him in.  “Vampire.”

“Mm.  You can just say you’re happy to see me, you know,” Rei points out, and Keito’s not going to let him have this one so he chooses to say nothing instead.  

“You’re blockING the doorWAY.”

“Natsume!” Rei lets go of Keito to envelope the newcomer in a hug, leaving Keito standing there feeling rather stunned, but the red-headed boy looks about as thrilled as Keito had been to have Rei all over him.  

“Rei-nii-SAN, please do not smoTHER me,” he complains, and Rei actually listens and moves back.  “Thought it is nice to see YOU.”

“Natsume, don’t run off-”

“It’s fine,” Natsume waves his hand as Shu rounds the corner, and Keito feels the tension in the room increase to almost unbearable levels.  

Yes, he and Shu had never gotten along, but that’s not what’s causing it, and one glance behind him shows that Leo looks serious and is holding onto Nazuna extra tightly.  

“Itsuki,” Nazuna’s voice trembles.  

“Nito,” Shu replies, standing up to his full height.  

“Well, I think we’re all here, so let’s begin!” Leo laughs, loud enough to drown everything else out, and Shu sits at the opposite end of the table from Nazuna, pointedly not looking in his direction.  

Natsume goes to sit beside him, leveling a glare back in Keito’s direction and starting to mumble something under his breath.  

“Don’t bother,” Rei slides his arm around Keito again.  “He can’t be cursed.”

“What-”

“Natsume is quite a talented little magician, but he’s only human.  His magic can’t out-class mine,” Rei hums, tugging Keito over to the table and sitting beside him.  

“Rei-nii-SAN, why would you protect a puppET of Tenshouin’s like HIM?” Natsume pouted, crossing his arms and sliding down in his chair.  

“Because we need him,” Rei replies, running a hand through his hair and leaning back.  “Hold onto your curses, Natsume, and save them for Tenshouin himself.”

“FINE,” Natsume keeps looking at Keito and it’s making him uncomfortable, but for once he might be grateful that Rei likes him because the alternative seems to be bursting into flames or something equally unpleasant.  

“I can’t save you from him, you know,” Rei’s hand lands on his thigh and Keito turns to him.  “If you get caught.  If he decides to…”

“I can take care of myself,” Keito hesitates before placing his own hand on top of Rei’s and letting their fingers tangle together.  “I’m careful.”

“I know, _bozu._ But don’t let your heart cloud your mind.  Whatever your desires are...save them for when he’s no longer a threat,” Rei’s not teasing at all and Keito has to wonder how much he knows, especially since they haven’t seen each other in _years,_ but then...Rei could always see right through him.  

“I will,” Keito doesn’t feel like promising more than that, but Rei seems appeased nonetheless and turns back to the table with a smile.  

“Now.  Shall we?”

-

“What did you even talk about?”

“Not as much as I would have liked to.  I have a feeling this is going to be harder than I thought considering all of the...complicated relationships we need to get past before working together even becomes a possibility,” Keito downs about half of an energy drink in one swallow, leaning back on the couch.  

“Nazu-nyan and Itsuki have some shit to work out, huh,” Izumi sniffs and Keito looks at him, narrowing his eyes.  

“ ‘Nazu-nyan’?” he asks curiously.  

“Yeah, little rabbit’s been here pretty often and Ou-sama can never keep his hands off him but...I guess that’s their healing,” he kicks his feet up onto the coffee table.  “So what did you want talk to me for?”

“You and I both know that Tsukinaga is not exactly the most...accurate when it comes to explaining facts.  I wanted to hear from you how things are actually going here,” he tries to make it sound natural but Rei’s words end up echoing in his head and he angrily pushes them away.  

He’s here anyway, so it’s not like he’s putting himself in extra danger just by _talking_ to Izumi.  

“Mm.  I don’t think I can tell you anything new,” Izumi shrugs.  “You guys are pretty much all the leaders we can call on unless Morisawa shows up again, and if those other oddballs don’t know where his little merman is, nobody will.”

“Hibiki might,” Keito frowns, since the idea of willingly going to Wataru to ask any sort of favor leaves a sour taste in his mouth.  “Eichi’s never gotten over Morisawa leaving.”

“He’s too much of a hero to stand for the shit Tenshouin pulled for long,” Izumi snorts.  “Sorry.  I know _you’re_ still standing by him, but he’s an asshole.”

“He has his moments,” Keito replies dryly, although it’s not like he can contradict Izumi on this one. “And it’s far less about standing by him now than it is merely keeping an eye on him.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a saint,” Izumi reaches out and shoves at his shoulder.  “Do you think...it’s dangerous, but do you think it would help if _all_ of us got together?  Not just the leaders?”

“I’m not risking Kiryu or Kanzaki coming here,” Keito shakes his head.  “Bad enough that I might get caught, but for the rest of your groups...I don’t think it’s a horrible idea.  They might be able to make some progress where we can’t because of our pasts.”

“Yeah.  I’ll talk to Ou-sama,” Izumi nods.  “Kasa-kun's already made friends with the Ra*bits boys so it’s really just Kuma-kun’s brother’s group that’s the unknown.  Unless you’ve got info,” he narrows his eyes and Keito laughs.  

“I haven’t seen Sakuma in a long time, but if he’s still running with the same circles...I’m guessing Oogami’s still there.”

“His little wolf from the agency, huh?  I guess you were part of that too,” Izumi smirks and Keito pointedly looks away.  

“Hakaze too,” he finally continues, hearing Izumi suck in a quick breath.  

“Fuck, I haven’t seen Kao-kun in forever,” he admits.

“Yes, you and he and Morisawa used to be a troublesome trio,” Keito smiles.  

“Nah, we just liked making your life difficult because you had a stick up your ass all the time,” Izumi slides a little closer.  “Still do, I bet.”

“Sena,” Keito says it warningly and Izumi seems to realize what he’s doing because he pulls back.  “What are you trying to accomplish?”

“Nothing.  Fuck,” Izumi sighs, turning away.  “That would be a shitty thing to do to you.”

“I’m not going to pretend to know what’s going on but somehow I don’t think sleeping with me will help,” Keito shakes his head to clear it, because Rei’s warning about not letting his desires get the better of him seems more relevant than ever now.  

“Yeah.  Forget it,” Izumi grunts, looking up when there’s a shuffling sound from the doorway.  “Nazu-nyan, hey.”

“Izumi-chin,” Nazuna clears his throat and comes in, followed almost immediately by Leo who promptly scoops him up and sits down with the smaller man on his lap again.  Izumi stiffens, his eyes snapping to Leo and then away, and suddenly Keito understands.

Maybe not perfectly, but it seems as if Shu and Nazuna aren’t the only ones with relationship issues to work out.  

Although, speaking of that…

“What’s going on between you and Itsuki?”

“Huh?” Nazuna blinks, his red eyes focusing on Keito.  

“Everyone could notice today, and if you two are unable to work together, that puts our entire operation in jeopardy,” Keito explains.

“Yeah.  Uh.  Well,” Nazuna sighs.  “You all know what I did by now, but I guess I should explain why I left in the first place.  Itsuki and I...we were...together,” he says it so quietly that Keito can barely hear him.  “Back when it was just us in Valkyrie...I was taken with him, I guess, and he made me feel so special.  It took me far too long to realize he was trying to...shape me to fit some image instead of appreciating me for who I actually was, and the more he tried, the more and more I withdrew until I couldn’t stand up for myself enough to stop him.”

“Itsuki’s always been a perfectionist,” Keito frowns.  “But I didn’t peg him as being manipulative to that extent.”

“I don’t think he was aware of it,” Nazuna admits, curling against Leo’s chest.  “I don’t think he ever meant to hurt me, but he got carried away and I never…Mika-chin was what made me realize I had to get out of there, that I had to do something, and I knew the only way to...to be honest with myself was to leave.”

“You’re even braver than I thought, Nazu,” Leo murmurs.  “It takes so much courage to leave someone you love,” his eyes flicker up to Izumi and if Keito hadn’t been sure before that something had happened between them, now he certainly is.  

“I hope it was enough,” Nazuna sighs.  “I hope he...I hope he realized after and watching him today he seemed...softer, I think.  I mean, he barely looked at me, but I can’t blame him for that.”

“Y’ really hurt him, y’know,” a voice chimes in from the kitchen, and Keito turns to see a young man with messy hair seated at the table.  He’s got a mug of something in front of him and he’s eyeing it critically, poking at the side of it every now and again.  “Jes’ up ‘n leavin’ like that.”

“I wasn’t in any place to talk to him,” Nazuna sighs.  “I could barely speak at all, back then, so that was the only thing I could do that might get through to him,” he reasons.  

“Maybe.  Maybe not,” the boy shrugs, frowning at the mug.  “But either way, yer not wrong about him bein’ different now.  ‘S weird, sometimes, ‘cuz I’m used t’ the old Oshi-san, but I guess things’re different when yer fuckin’ somebody,” he sniffs and Keito blinks because, for being an apparent disciple of Shu’s, this boy certainly didn’t have his master’s filter.  

“You didn’t know,” Nazuna gets up and the man...Mika, from what Nazuna had said earlier...glares at him.  “I’m sorry.  We kept a lot of things from you so that you didn’t need to get involved in our drama.”

“Yeah, well, I know I’m not exactly brilliant like the two o’ you are, but I’m not an idiot,” Mika’s eyes narrow even further.  “Why’re you comin’ closer?”

“Because you don’t know if that’s safe to drink,” Nazuna says gently, reaching for the mug and pressing his fingers against it.  “It’s still hot, give it a minute or two.”

“Ah.  Thanks,” Mika’s blushing a little now.  “Y’ didn’t hafta do that.”

“I know.  But despite what you think, I don’t hate you.  I don’t hate Itsuki, either, but this was never about you and I’d do anything to keep you safe,” he hesitates before patting Mika’s head, which only makes his blush deepen.  “Mika-chin, I’m still not asking you to forgive me, but I hope this makes some of what I did a little clearer.”

“Yeah.  I c’n...forgive y’ fer leavin’ now, maybe, but not fer what happened to Naru-chan.  Not yet,” he amends.  “Not until he can, at any rate.”

“It’s fine.  I wouldn’t expect you to,” Nazuna stands up and backs away slowly.  “I think I should get going...it’s late,” he mentions, and Keito notices that Leo looks disappointed for half a second before he hops up and wraps his arms around Nazuna again.  

“Nazu!  Don’t leave!”

“I’ll be back soon, Leo-chin,” Nazuna promises, his cheeks rather red.  

“I should leave as well,” Keito knows Eichi will get suspicious if he stays out _too_ late, and well...as much as he hates to admit it, he _does_ need to talk to Wataru about Kanata.  “Unless there’s a reason I need to stay?” he looks pointedly at Izumi, who glowers at him and turns the other way.  

“Let me walk you out,” Leo keeps his arm around Nazuna’s shoulders and steers him down the hall, leaving Keito to follow.  It might not be the best idea for them to leave together, Keito thinks, but Nazuna has enough of a connection to Eichi that Keito can play off any potential interaction as simply fishing for information.  

Plus, his vampire senses are tingling again, and with night creeping up on them the chance of Rei still hanging around and being _awake_ is higher than ever, so having Nazuna there might at least encourage him to be on his best behavior.  

Leo hugs Nazuna again before letting him go, and then he throws his arms around Keito, too, much to the taller man’s distaste.  

“Come back whenever!” he whispers, resting one hand on Keito’s chest, and Keito doesn’t really know what he means but Leo’s not nearly as oblivious as people seem to think and chances are high he’d noticed _something_ had gone down between Keito and Izumi.  

Keito would rather not dwell on that, however, so he merely nods and follows Nazuna out into the brisk night air.   

“You heeded my warning, I see.”

“I don’t need you to look after me,” Keito sees Nazuna freeze and hopes he doesn’t bolt like his namesake animal would, but luckily he just steps closer to Keito and Keito coughs as the acrid stench of cigarette smoke curls around him.  

“Well, you’re out of luck, _bozu,”_ Rei drops the offending object and crushes it under his boot, blowing smoke rings into the air as he leans back against the outer wall of Knights’ base.  “I’ve put the strongest wards I can around you.  Call it a... _signature.”_

Keito has no idea what he means by that, but he’s long since given up trying to make sense out of about 95% of the things Rei says.  He’s an eternal enigma, and his hundreds?  Thousands?  Of years spent living among humans hasn’t seemed to bring him any closer to acting like a normal one.  

“Don’t hang around here too long,” Keito says briskly.  “Eichi knows where it is, and if you want to stay hidden, this is a bad place.”

“You don’t have to concern yourself with me,” Rei chuckles.  “But you’re right, and I appreciate the warning.”

“Don’t misconstrue my intentions, Sakuma,” Keito hisses.  “You getting caught would be detrimental to our plan, that’s all.”

“Of course, of course,” Rei holds up his hands in a rather placating manner.  “Far be it from me to assume anything else,” he grins as a flash of light cuts through the night and a motorcycle screeches to a halt in front of them, spraying gravel from its rapidly spinning tires.  “I’ll see you both around,” Rei hops behind the driver, accepting the helmet he’s passed and putting it on before he wraps his arms around the other person’s waist and the bike speeds off again.  

“He really cares about you, huh,” Nazuna murmurs, and Keito _barely_ stops himself from snapping but the other man doesn’t deserve that.  

“So it seems.  Will you be okay getting home?”

“Yeah,” Nazuna nods, raising one hand in a wave before jogging off into the darkness, and Keito watches until he’s no longer visible before beginning to make his own way home.  

-

“What lucky star has risen today that you would willingly seek me out!?”

“Quiet!” Keito’s not in the mood to deal with Wataru right now (truth be told, he’s _never_ in the mood), but if he _has_ to he’d rather get it done with as little theatrics as possible.  “Come with me.”

“A late-night rendezvous?  How scandalous!” Wataru’s still at top volume and Keito resists the urge to knock him out and drag him to where he needs him instead of playing into his eternal dog-and-pony show.  

“Hibiki!” he snaps.  “This is _not_ the time.  Lives are, quite literally, on the line here.”

“Ah,” Wataru smirks, tossing his long hair over his shoulder and whistling sharply.  A pigeon drops down from the rafters and he whispers to it, sending it off down the corridor.  “No witnesses, then.”

“Preferably,” Keito turns around and head toward his own rooms, making sure Wataru hasn’t gotten distracted and wandered off before ushering him in and steering him to the sofa.  “Now.  I’m in need of some information.”

“Considering the brutish way you’ve treated me since my arrival, I see no reason why I would offer up said information even if I had it,” Wataru hums, pulling a rose out of...somewhere...and proceeding to sprinkle blood-red petals all over Keito’s furniture.  “My loyalty is to Eichi, not to you.”

“Fine,” Keito really, _really_ does not want this to be difficult, but he shouldn’t have expected anything less. “I thought you’d be interested in making sure your oddball friends were safe…”

“What about them?” Wataru sits upright, the flower vanishing in a puff of smoke.  He narrows his eyes, regarding Keito carefully, and sniffs rather loudly.  “You stink of vampire.  You...were with Rei tonight,” he murmurs.  

“More like that damn vampire decided to manhandle me,” Keito snorts, but suddenly Rei’s comment about leaving a ‘signature’ made a lot of sense.  “But yes, he was there.  He and Itsuki and that little magician apprentice of yours.”

“You’re lucky Eichi has no inclinations toward magic or he’d be able to read the signs immediately,” Wataru looks suspicious now.  “Why them?”

“That’s not important,” Keito waves a hand.  “But we _do_ have a need to find Shinkai and Morisawa, and I have a feeling you might know where they are.”

“There have been...rumors,” Wataru begins slowly, tucking some hair behind his ear.  “Rumors of a vigilante superhero group who always show up at the right time to stop criminals and leave before anyone can see their faces.  Ryuseitai, that’s what they call themselves.”

Keito shakes his head, partly because he can’t believe Chiaki would _actually_ do that and partly because, well, it’s all too easy to believe that Chiaki would actually do that.  But at least it’s a lead, and right now, that’s all he needs.

“You’re moving against Eichi,” Wataru’s still regarding him carefully.  “Why?”

“Because Eichi’s reach is starting to get too wide and either we find a way to stop him, or…”

“Or he’ll destroy everything we care about, is that it?” Wataru chuckles.  “Don’t misunderstand me, oh fated rival of mine: my reasons for joining Eichi were not born merely of altruism.  Yes, I knew that he was...curious about me, and the feeling was mutual, so I knew I could get away with something none of the others could, but I’m not a prisoner here.  I choose to stand by him, for better or worse,” Wataru’s voice is devoid of theatrics now and Keito knows he’s not making this more dramatic than it actually is for once.  

“And I’ve been his best friend for twenty years,” he returns.  “The last thing I want is to see him killed, Hibiki, but you and I both know he’s too far gone to listen to reason,” he sits down beside the other man.  

“Perhaps we are not so different, then,” Wataru’s hand lands lightly on his shoulder and while Keito’s first response is to be offended that he would suggest they were _anything_ alike...he can’t deny it.  

“So we have a similar goal,” he sighs and holds out his hand, waiting for Wataru to shake it.  

“It seems so.  But I have overstayed my welcome, in any case, so I will bid you good night,” Wataru plucks another flower out of the air and hands it to Keito with a flourish, and Keito’s about to scold him before he claps his hands, twirls dramatically, and disappears in a puff of smoke.  

“Damn magician,” Keito mutters, staring down at the rose in his hand.  

It’s black this time, and Keito’s not sure what that means, but he hopes it’s not a bad sign.  

Right now, there’s not much more he can do.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't originally intended this entire chapter to be from Keito's point of view but considering he's kind of playing the double agent at the moment it ended up happening that way! Feel free to leave a comment if you wish, I really like hearing what people are thinking of this fic and this 'verse in general!


	13. Chapter 13

“What’s up with you and Keito?”

“Nothing,” Izumi wrinkles his nose at the open bottle of wine on the table, turning away and deciding to head into the bedroom instead.  He knows it’s foolish to demand that nobody drink alcohol in the base, especially when they’ve got company, but it’s turning his stomach even more than usual tonight.  

“There was some serious tension between you,” Leo persists, following him down the hall and sneaking by the door before Izumi can close it in his face.  “Do you even like him?”

“Leo-kun, drop it,” Izumi growls, stripping his shirt off and going to dig for a t-shirt to wear to bed.  “Who I decide to fuck is none of your business.”

“Don’t play with his feelings,” Leo sounds annoyed and Izumi glances back at him, a little surprised.  He knew that Leo and Keito were friends, obviously, but not to this level.  “Don’t do this just to get back at me.”

“You think too highly of yourself,” Izumi snorts, pulling his t-shirt on and undoing his pants.  “Considering what I’ve done with Naru-kun, nothing you did with him is going to affect me.”

“Right,” Leo sighs, sounding exhausted.  “Sena, I…”

“I think it’s best if we keep our relationship professional from now on,” Izumi says it between gritted teeth, because he’s still in love with Leo and it’s the hardest fucking thing he’s ever had to do, but the last thing any of them need right now is a distraction. Maybe when this mess with Tenshouin is over they can re-evaluate, but to be honest Izumi would rather push it to the back of his mind and not think about it ever again.  “So you should leave.”

“So that’s it?” Leo asks, his voice breaking.  “That’s all I get?”

“I don’t owe you anything,” Izumi finishes changing and goes to hang his discarded clothes up.  “You’re my team leader and I’m loyal to Knights, so that’s all you should need from me.”

“You know,” Leo still sounds unsteady.  “If you asked him, he’d say yes.  And _I’d_ say yes,” he adds softly, although Izumi certainly hears him and it brings to mind what Arashi had said about the two of them needing a third person to balance them out.  Keito really hasn’t crossed his mind before now, not in that capacity, but he’s not the  _ worst  _ choice in the world and, right now, anything to help with this mess would be welcome. 

“You ask him, then.  Let me know what he says.  Good night, Ou-sama,” Izumi says it firmly and Leo gives him a lingering look before he leaves.  

Izumi waits for the door to close before throwing himself onto the bed and groaning into his pillow.  He has no idea if Leo  _ will  _ ask, but he’d better be prepared either way. 

At this point, there's not much else he can do.

-

He can’t sleep, which probably isn’t unusual given how much his mind is racing, and eventually he gives up on staring into the darkness and goes into the kitchen for a drink.  Maybe hot water will relax him, even if he feels like a senior citizen drinking it, but at least somebody’s cleaned up the wine and the smell of alcohol isn’t lingering anymore.  

He’s just reaching to start the microwave when a shuffling noise behind him makes him pause, but he presses the button anyway before turning.  

“Hey,” he grunts, relieved that it isn’t Leo, but Mika’s blinking at him with sleepy eyes and he lets out a yawn before pulling a rather over-sized robe around his thin frame.  “Can’t sleep, either?”

“ ‘m jes’ thinkin’ about what Nazuna-nii said today,” Mika replies softly, seating himself at the table.  “All of us...we’re kinda messed up, huh?”

“That’s an understatement,” Izumi grunts, reaching down when the microwave beeps and carefully removing the heated mug.  “You want a drink?”

“Nah, ‘s okay,” Mika clears his throat.  “I saw light in the kitchen and wanted t’ see who’s up, but since it’s you… ‘ve got a question.”

“Shoot,” Izumi sits across from him, a little curious as to what Mika wanted to ask  _ him,  _ of all people.  

“ ‘Kay.  Naru-chan...he said y’ve known ‘im longer than anyone else here,” he waits for Izumi’s nod to continue.  “Right, well, the one day...the day it was really bad, y’know, I went t’ visit him and he wasn’t even  _ here  _ anymore.  He said somethin’ about… ‘maybe I’ll see him again and ask him why he left me’” he says slowly, and Izumi lets out a tiny breath.  “I never asked b’cause I’m pretty sure I wasn’t s’posed to hear that, but I thought maybe…”

“I don’t know the whole story,” Izumi shakes his head.  “It happened back when he was in high school, I think...his first boyfriend killed himself,” he says quietly.  “And I guess it came out of the blue and Naru-kun had no idea he was even having trouble.  It’s not his fault, but I think he’s always blamed himself a little and if he thought he was going to d-” Izumi stops, because he can’t even say the word and covers it by taking a sip of his water.  “So that’s all I know.”

Mika blinks at him for a few seconds before nodding slowly, frowning like he’s processing.  “Thanks fer tellin’ me.  I guess that’s not really the kinda thing y’ ever get over, huh?”

“I don’t think it would be,” Izumi agrees.  “So don’t go dying on him.”

“Not plannin’ on it,” Mika looks determined and Izumi knows - like he’s known since the first night he saw this scrawny, strange boy - that he’s perfect for Arashi.  

“Good,” Izumi reaches to pat his head.  “Now get back to bed before he misses you.”

“Yeah.  Thanks,” Mika gives him a tiny smile and pulls the robe around his body a little tighter before he heads back down the hall.  Izumi watches him go, letting out a resigned sigh as he cleans up the leftover mugs from the kitchen table and decides to try and get some sleep of his own.

-

“Senacchi!”

“Kao-ku-” Izumi doesn’t even get the name out before he’s being picked up and spun around, and he lets out a rather embarrassing yelp and clings to Kaoru’s shoulders until the other man puts him down.  “Do you  _ mind?” _

“Prickly as ever, I see,” Kaoru pokes his cheek, a shit-eating grin on his face.  “Is that how you greet an old friend?”

“It’s better than making me nauseous!” Izumi retorts, stepping back enough to study Kaoru.  

“Yeah, yeah,” Kaoru claps his shoulder on the way by, leaving Izumi to examine the rest of his unit.  He knows Koga vaguely through their time at the Agency, but the purple-haired, dark-skinned man that seems to be surveying the room rather carefully is new.  

“Who’s he?”

“Adonis?” Kaoru blinks, following Izumi’s gaze.  “Oh!  He’s some kid from...I dunno, somewhere in the Middle East, but Sakuma-san picked him up on one of his trips there.  He’s kinda quiet but he’s fucking  _ strong,”  _ Kaoru whistles through his teeth in obvious admiration.  “You’ve got some new members too, though, huh?”

“Yeah, a couple,” Izumi glances behind him as Arashi sneaks into the kitchen, wearing an over-sized baggy sweatshirt and pajama pants that nearly cover his feet.  He grabs a couple bottles of water and a bowl of some assorted snacks before darting back out and Izumi knows they won’t be seeing any more of him tonight. 

“Is that the kid who got tortured?” Kaoru asks softly.

Izumi nods, crossing his arms and wondering if it pays to try and get Arashi to join the rest of them for a while.  A few months ago he would have been the first one planning a party and would probably have flirted with everyone that walked through the door, but now…

“He’s fucking pretty,” Kaoru mentions, which basically makes up Izumi’s mind for him.  

“Come with me,” Izumi decides, since even though Arashi doesn’t know Kaoru...Kaoru’s perfectly charming when he wants to be and he’ll be careful.  He grabs the blond’s wrist and pulls him down the hall, not even knocking on the door before entering Arashi’s room.  “Oi, Naru-chan, you’re not sulking in here all night.”

“I’m quite content, Izumi-ch…” he stops, his eyes widening when they land on Kaoru.  “Hello.”

“Hey,” Kaoru sticks his hands in his pockets, leaning casually against the door.  “You’re not gonna skip the party, are you?”

“I’m not feeling very well,” Arashi sniffs, and Izumi can practically  _ see  _ all of his walls slamming into place.  “So if you gentlemen would kindly leave me alone…”

“Naru-kun...we’re all in the same business,” Izumi says firmly.  “Nobody here is going to judge you for what happened and Ou-sama made damn sure that  _ he’s  _ not going to be here.”

Arashi curls up in the bed, pulling his knees to his chest.  “I  _ can’t. _ ”

“Of course you can,” Kaoru snorts and walks forward, sitting beside Arashi without any preamble.  “Hakaze Kaoru.  I’m an old friend of Senacchi’s.”

“Senacchi, huh?” Arashi perks up immediately and Izumi groans, though if hearing Kaoru’s ridiculous nickname for him is what gets Arashi to engage a little, he’ll have to deal with it.  “Narukami Arashi,” he replies eventually, holding out his hand and tensing when Kaoru bows his head and touches his lips to the back of Arashi’s fingers.  

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not into dudes,” Kaoru says when he pulls back, and Izumi has to roll his eyes because he’s heard that one enough and apparently Kaoru hasn’t gotten over  _ that  _ since the last time they’d seen each other.  

“Shame. You’re charming,” Arashi’s voice is shaking a little but he’s _trying_ , damn it, and Izumi’s proud of him for it.  “I can’t see why you and Izumi-chan get along, since he’s certainly not.”

“Oi,” Izumi grunts as Kaoru snickers.  “This guy’s a cad, Naru-kun, don’t fall for him.”

“You know that I’m taken,” Arashi clicks his tongue.  “But I suppose I can make an appearance, at least,” he looks toward the door and carefully works his way off of the bed.  

“Yeah, come and meet Adonis,” Kaoru says, grinning.  “He’s super quiet and if you don’t want to be bothered you can hang with him.”

“Adonis, huh?  With a name like that i’m expecting a lot,” Arashi winks and gets to his feet, giggling a little when Kaoru bows and holds out his arm.  

“You could learn from him, Izumi-chan,” he calls over his shoulder as he slides his arm through Kaoru’s and lets the blond lead him back toward the kitchen.  Izumi resists the urge to groan because he’s taking a _lot_ of heat but...but this is the closest he’s seen to the  _ old  _ Arashi in  _ weeks,  _ so he can handle it if it means that Arashi’s starting to truly heal.  

-

“Your choice of decor needs some updating, Tsukinaga.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Leo looks around the kitchen, his eyes falling on the fridge when he follows Shu’s gaze there.  “Oh!  You don’t like my photo collection?”  

“Your photo collection of people in _bed_?” Shu sniffed, narrowing his eyes and swirling his wine around in his glass.  “It’s rather crude and distasteful.”

“Wahaha, that’s just because your bed’s always empty!” Leo grins, oblivious to the way Shu’s eyes are shooting daggers at him.  “Look, our lives are full of danger, so why not celebrate the peaceful times?”

“Peaceful times would be, I don’t know, your group eating dinner or watching television or playing a wholesome board game,” Shu snaps, drinking far more wine than is elegant but, damn it, he _needs_ it after dealing with Leo for any length of time.  “ _ That  _ is inherently sexual.”

“Again, just because you’re not getting any…”

“Alright, enough,” Izumi leans back and wrinkles his nose, his eyes focused on Shu’s wine glass for a moment before he turns his head away.  “We’re not here to argue with each other.  Look at those kids, they’re getting along,” he gestures to the living room where the younger members of Ra*bits along with Sora and a rather reluctant Tsukasa are playing video games.  “Trust me, we all hate the fridge thing, but this one’s stubborn.”

“I can imagine,” Shu reaches for the wine bottle and pours himself another glass.  “And I suppose not everything up there is suspect.  I mean, the one with Kagehira…”

“What’s that s’posed to mean?” Mika blinks, fidgeting a little from his spot at the end of the table.  He looks like he’d rather be somewhere else and Shu’s not quite sure why he hasn’t just run off with his boyfriend, but every time he’s seen the blond around he’s been in the company of a rather stern looking dark-skinned man so perhaps there's a story there that Shu doesn’t need to know about.  

“Well, you hardly…”

“What?  Your little crow’s pretty good in bed, Itsuki!” Leo lets out another too-loud laugh and Shu, who had been in the process of taking another sip of his wine at the words, does a rather inelegant spit-take that has the unfortunate after-effect of drenching Karou’s pristine white shirt with a rapidly growing red stain.  

“Fuck!” Kaoru’s staring at him in shock and the only thing running through Shu’s mind (other than, well, Mika apparently having slept with Leo because  _ he’s  _ still intimidated by the other man so he could hardly imagine _Mika_ willingly getting naked with him) is that no clothes are ever going to be ruined because of him so he needs to act quickly.  

“Tsukinaga!  Where’s a bathroom we can use?” he asks, and Leo gestures vaguely toward the hall so Shu huffs at him, stomping over to Kaoru and lifting him out of his seat by his elbow before marching him rather inelegantly toward the first open door.  

It’s a bedroom with a bathroom attached, thankfully, and Shu’s undoing the buttons on Kaoru’s shirt before he even gets door closed. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” Kaoru yelps, trying to bat Shu’s hands away.  

“If we don’t get this treated immediately it’s going to stain,” Shu replies, barely letting Kaoru’s weak attempts to push him aside faze him. Eventually Kaoru relents and shrugs out of the shirt, letting Shu take it to the sink, but when Shu looks back he can see that Kaoru's jeans are similarly stained from where the wine had soaked clean through his thin dress shirt.  

“Fuck.”

“Take them off,” Shu wiggles his fingers expectantly but Kaoru looks nothing short of horrified and so Shu rolls his eyes and reaches for the button on the jeans.  

“ _ Hey!” _

“Are you truly so afraid of another man touching you?” Shu doesn’t have time for this right now, although his sure fingers falter when they brush against the front of Kaoru’s pants. “Ah.”

“Look, don’t get any ideas!” Kaoru curls in on himself a little, cupping his hands over his groin.  “It doesn’t mean anything!  It’s just because of damn vampire pheromones…”

“Rei?” Shu blinks, narrowing his eyes.  “Are you his lover?”

“Gross,” Kaoru replies, sticking out his tongue.  “But the kids shouldn't have to deal with his urges, y’know, so I do it for them,” he stands up and crosses his arms, and Shu wants to make a dry remark about how  _ noble  _ he is but he has a feeling that won’t go over particularly well.  “Anyway, just take my clothes or something and I’ll deal with it.”

“I feel like this is partly my fault,” Shu moves closer and Kaoru backs up until he nearly tangles himself in the shower curtain.  “The least I could do is assist you.”

“I’m not gay,” Kaoru hisses, flailing his hands rather uselessly.  “I’m…”

“Nobody said you were.  Close your eyes and imagine I’m whoever you want me to be,” Shu isn’t sure why he’s even  _ offering  _ since it’s not in his usual nature to proposition sexual activities from a near-stranger, but maybe Leo’s words mixed with the wine are starting to cloud his normally impeccable judgment.  

“Okay.  Fine.  Just get it over with,” Kaoru finally shoves his pants down and Shu moves in, thinking that he’s certainly won over Leo this time.  Not only is he proving him wrong about ‘not getting any’, but he also _won’t_ end up on his refrigerator.  “Hey?  Are we doing this?”

Shu shakes his head to clear it a little, giving Kaoru a rather smug smile that has the blond gulping, but he’s not voicing any complaints when Shu’s lithe fingers wrap around his cock.

The stains will probably set before they’re done, but Shu’s not about to stop now so they’ll just have to deal with that when the time comes.  

-

“Interesting.”

“Hmm?”

“Kaoru-kun and Shu,” Rei taps the counter and fixes his red eyes on Nazuna.  “They’re not just cleaning up wine stains in the bathroom.”

“No way!” Nazuma squeaks, his cheeks flushing a dark shade of red that certainly can’t entirely be attributed to the alcohol he’s consumed so far.  “Oshi-sa...Itsuki’s not like that!”

“Trust me.  I’m an inherently sexual being, remember, so smelling arousal is practically second-nature and when it comes to Kaoru-kun...it’s all too familiar,” he smirks, a little surprised but not exactly shocked.  Yes, Shu might have a rather prudish reputation, but Rei’s always figured that in the right circumstances he would enjoy getting a little wild.  “And he’s not in there alone.”

“Why are you even telling me this?” Nazuna fidgets uncomfortably.  “We’re not together anymore, so he can do whatever he wants with whoever he wants,” he mumbles.  

“Mm,” Rei nods, although he can smell the jealousy coming off of Nazuna and his hesitant words are doing little to convince Rei otherwise.  “In that case, wouldn’t you also be free to do whatever you want with whoever you want?” he questions lightly, his fingers skimming the blond’s sleeve ever-so-slightly.  

“Wh-what’s that shupposhed to mean?” Nazuna stutters, his words slurring.  “I-I mean, I don’t want to…”

“Shame,” Rei sighs, overly dramatic.  “Being around so many people raises my natural inclinations for sex quite dramatically, you see, and I had hoped that Kaoru-kun would remember and be available to help me with this, but as it stands…”

“ _ Me?”  _ Nazuna yelps, looking around as if he’s not the only one standing there.  “You want…”

“If you’re willing.  I’d never do anything without permission,” Rei promises, baring his fangs a little.  

“W-well,” Nazuna gulps, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.  “Y’know, Itsuki always used to talk about you.  He said you were beautiful and sometimes... _ maybe _ ...it made me a little jealous,” he mumbles, though all his words do is cause Rei to smirk to himself because this isn’t exactly new information.  

Shu might never have said it, but after so long living among humans Rei’s learned to read them fairly well and Shu’s not nearly as subtle as he thinks. 

“And you?  You don’t  _ have  _ to think I’m pretty, you know.  I may have rather...wide-ranging appeal, but vampires like me still aren’t for everyone,” he crosses his legs at the ankle and leans back against the counter.  

Nazuna’s only reply is to blush even deeper and look quickly away, but that’s enough of an answer.  “Well.  Maybe this is a good way to let out some of your feelings.”  He leans closer, his lips against the shorter man’s ear as he whispers.  “Besides...I’m craving rabbit tonight.”

Nazuna squeaks again, covering his mouth and giving Rei a half-hearted glare, but he must have been able to tell Rei wasn’t just trying to tease him because after a few long seconds he nods and holds out his hand.  “Okay.”

“Lovely.  Do you mind asking Tsukinaga-kun if there’s a room we can borrow?” he takes the proffered hand as Nazuna looks around for Leo.  

“Ah! Leo-chin! Do you have a...a spare room?” his voice trembles only slightly as Leo turns to them, green eyes lighting up.  

“Wahaha!  Of course, of course!  First one on the left!” he gestures down the hall and gives Nazuna an exaggerated wink.  

“Thanks,” Nazuna mumbles, turning away and tugging Rei in the direction Leo had pointed.  

The last thing Rei hears before the door closes is Izumi rather loudly scolding Leo for ‘giving up _my room_ for people to fool around in!’ but he pays little attention to that.  

What’s in front of him is _far_ more interesting, anyway.  

“Now,” he hisses, feeling the heady rush of bloodlust start to mix with his arousal.  “Let’s begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering, the...final pairings out of this group are reikao and shunazu, but they take a very roundabout way to get there!! We started planning this particular plot-line right after starfes (so...an entire year ago...) and it was a response to how Shu and Nazuna were starting to reconcile their relationship so this is just an alternate universe view on it, I guess! 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading this if you did and please do comment if you feel inclined!


	14. Chapter 14

“You’re back!”

Leo announces it much too loudly and Arashi looks over the back of the couch, seeing Shu flinch at the exclamation.  “It’s not as if I’d left in the first place,” he mutters dryly, patting Mika’s head on the way past the table. “But more to the point: can Hakaze borrow some of your clothes?  His will take a while to dry and I can only hope my expertise has prevented permanent stains.”

“Ah, sure, sure!” Leo nods.  “They might be a little small but I’ve got t-shirts and sweatpants in the top...left?  Right?” he frowns and Izumi chimes in “left.” “Left dresser drawer, then!”

“Thank you,” Shu sweeps out again, his posture and expression as haughty as always, and Arashi wonders briefly how somebody could look so composed and unaffected after sex but well...he’s come to expect that sort of thing from Shu by now. 

“I hope Hakaze is okay,” Adonis murmurs from beside him and Arashi resists the urge to say something suggestive because, as tonight as taught him, Adonis is someone who’s brutally straightforward and likely wouldn’t pick up on it anyway.  

Kaoru had been right about him being nice company, though, and Arashi feels very safe at the moment which probably explains why he hasn’t retreated to his room yet.  

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Arashi says instead, flinching when the group in front of the TV lets out a loud cheer.  “And I’m glad the kids are having fun.”

“Not just the kids,” Adonis chuckles, which seems to be true because Natsume is standing on top of the coffee table with a controller in his hands and his tongue peeking out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrates on whatever game they’re currently playing.  “This was a nice idea. I haven’t been able to meet many people apart from Undead since arriving here.”

“Well, you’re certainly welcome here anytime as far as I’m concerned,” Arashi pats his knee, pulling away when Kaoru stumbles into the room and collapses onto the sofa between them.  His shirt barely reaches his waist and his pants end halfway down his calves, which speaks to them being Leo’s clothes, but he doesn’t seem to mind. 

“Hakaze, welcome back,” Adonis says warmly, getting a weak hand-wave and a grunt in return.  “I am sorry about your clothes…”

“Not your fault,” Kaoru picks his face up out of the cushions long enough to reply.  “Oh, hey, you’re still out here. He’s nice, right?” 

“He is,” Arashi agrees.  “Thank you for suggesting his company.”  

“Yeah, no prob,” Kaoru manages to turn himself around so he’s sitting properly on the sofa.  

“Hey, if that vampire bastard’s chowing down on rabbit tonight, where are the rest of us staying?” Koga calls from across the room where he and Ritsu appear to be having a rather heated card game of some kind.  Mao’s watching them both with a sleepy sort of interest but Arashi can tell he’s about to pass out and, honestly speaking, it  _ is  _ rather late. “Because we’re obviously not heading home.”

“What was that?” Shu turns around, his eyes flashing.  “What did you just say?”

“Oh!  Nazu and Rittsu’s brother are getting it on in Sena’s room!” Leo exclaims brightly, and even from where he’s sitting Arashi can see Shu’s eyebrow twitch.  “Wahaha, I bet they’re having fun!”

“ _ I see,”  _ Shu says in a voice that would probably cause lava to freeze but doesn’t seem to have any impact on Leo.  “Well. I’ve overstayed my welcome. I assume you’re staying,” he glances at Mika, who nods. “Natsume! Are you coming home with me?”

“Nii-SAN, I’m in the middle of a leVEL,” Natsume replies sharply, his fingers on the controller never faltering.  

“Right.  Well, promise me you’ll stay here for the night, then.  It’s safer,” he adds softly, like he doesn’t want anybody to hear him showing such outright concern.  

“We will,” Sora looks back at him since Natsume doesn’t seem inclined to answer.  “Sora will make sure he stays put!”

“Thank you.  Now, somebody let me out,” Shu starts walking briskly in the direction of the bedrooms and Mao heaves a sigh and gets up, grabbing his arm and steering him the opposite way toward the exit.  

“He’s pissed,” Mika flops down mostly on Arashi’s lap, nuzzling into his neck.  “Not that I blame him,” he peers out enough to glare at Kaoru, who blinks in confusion. 

“Uh...is there a problem…”

“Oshi-san’s  _ delicate,  _ y’ can’t jes’ have yer way with him,” Mika sticks his nose up in a haughty imitation of Shu that has Arashi trying to stifle a laugh.  

“Oh.  If it helps, I didn’t touch him,” Kaoru stretches and sprawls against the back of the sofa.  “I’m not into dudes.”

Mika still looks suspicious but he lets it go, instead turning to look at Arashi properly.  “I woulda come over sooner but they were askin’ me questions I didn’t think y’ wanted to hear the answers to.”

“About…”

“Well, since Oshi-san was  _ occupied,”  _ this was accompanied by another pointed look in Kaoru’s direction, “they wanted t’ ask me about the base, y’know?  What kinda supplies and weapons we have, what kinda...well…” he trails off and flaps a hand uselessly. “With Tsumu-chan-san bein’...”

“What kind of torture equipment, you mean,” Arashi guesses.  “Yes, I think it’s better if I didn’t hear that conversation.”

“Narukami,” Adonis says in his deep voice, honey-colored eyes full of concern.  “Were you, perhaps…”

And suddenly the room is too hot, too stifling, and all Arashi can do is bury his nose in Mika’s messy hair and try to stop the tears from forming.  He’s shaking in a way that he hasn’t since  _ that  _ night, since the night he was rescued, and he’d thought he was over that already but apparently he’s very much not.  

“Yeah, he was,” Kaoru says quietly.  “Don’t bring it up.”

“I apologize,” Adonis’ hand lands heavy in his hair, patting awkwardly, but it’s just enough to convince Arashi that his touch isn’t meant to cause harm and he feels the vise that had closed around his chest begin to loosen.  “I should not have…”

“It’s fine,” Arashi rasps, forcing a shaky smile onto his face.  “I’ve got to come to terms with it one of these days.”

“You’re very strong,” Adonis says, not a hint of anything other than pure honesty in his voice, and somehow it helps.  

“Hey, didja hear me or what?” Koga stomps over, his voice a snarl that has Arashi tensing again.  

“Down, doggie,” Kaoru waves a hand.  “We heard, but I have a feeling there won’t be any spare rooms here.”

“The couch,” Arashi clears his throat, telling himself firmly that Koga’s not a threat.  “It’s a pullout...all of you should be able to fit.”

“Here,” Mika gets up and Arashi follows, leaving Kaoru to slide rather bonelessly onto the floor.  

Adonis helps him to his feet, keeping him upright while Koga yanks the cushions aside and tugs on the exposed handle, growling when nothing happens.  “Is there some trick…”

“Let me,” Arashi takes it from him and pulls out the entire bed in one smooth motion, holding it up enough to let the legs unfold and land on the floor.  He steps back, noticing the others looking at him with varying degrees of amazement, and blinks. “What?”

“How fuckin’ strong _are_ you?” Koga yelps.  “I couldn't even move the damn thing! I thought only somebody like Adonis could do that shit.”

“It’s not that heavy,” is Arashi’s casual reply, his cheeks colouring a little the way they always do when somebody has to point out how much muscle strength he actually has.  

“Right,” Koga kicks the bed and hisses when it doesn’t move at all, and Kaoru lets out a drunken laugh, squirming away from Adonis to throw himself onto the mattress.  

“Sleep,” he announces firmly, splaying out on the sheets.  

“I’ll grab you a blanket and some pillows,” Arashi heads to the closet that holds all of the extra towels and bedding, coming back with three pillows and a fuzzy throw.  “Have a good night, gentlemen. Powder room’s just off the kitchen, or if you want to use Ou-sama’s shower, you know where that is,” he winks at Kaoru, who turns a rather interesting shade of pink and hides under the blanket.  

“Thank you.  I will bid you a good night as well,” Adonis bows a little and Arashi nods in return.  

“Come on, darling, let’s head to our own bed,” Arashi scoops Mika up, grinning when he squeaks and clings to Arashi’s neck.  Yes, he might not like showing off his strength, but he has a feeling Mika will appreciate it in the right ways. “I’ve had quite enough of other people,” he murmurs, feeling Mika shiver in his arms, and he figures everyone else can fend for themselves for the rest of the night.  

He’s more than done his share, anyway.

-

Izumi’s left to clean up again.  

In some ways, it’s what he wanted, since it gives him an excuse to  _ not  _ take up Leo’s offer of following him straight to his bedroom, but it also means dealing with several half-open bottles and half-finished glasses of alcohol and his stomach is starting to hate him for volunteering.  

He steps carefully into the living room, picking a few cups and bowls off of the floor, and smiles despite himself at the pile in front of the TV.  Natsume still has a controller clasped in his fingers so Izumi gently pries it away, setting it on top of the blinking game console and reaching to turn it off.  The red-haired boy sighs and curls closer to that tiny blond teammate of his and two of the Ra*bits kids, the four of them looking as comfortable as they could be sleeping on the floor.  

He grabs a blanket from the same closet Arashi had raided earlier, draping it over their slumbering forms and noting with a bit of wry amusement that Tsukasa and the blue-haired kid both seem to be gone, and goes to check the alarm system and the front door camera before heading toward the bedrooms.  

It’s when he gets halfway there that he remembers Leo had given out his room for the night and he stops, growling softly, since now he’s kind of stuck.  Leo’s room isn’t an option, point blank, and he’s not going to try and kick a very powerful demon king out of his own bed, so that leaves…

Arashi, of course, but Izumi feels like he’s imposed enough on Arashi and Mika as it is and the two of them really deserve their own time to be together.  Tsukasa wouldn’t take too kindly to an intrusion on a regular night, much less one where he’s got a guest. 

Ritsu, then, he thinks with a sullen sigh.  At least he’ll be awake and probably willing to talk, and Izumi’s got some things to discuss that he feels like might benefit from the wisdom of a creature much, much older than any of the humans in their base right now.  

That still doesn’t make him any braver, however, and instead of knocking he simply sinks down in front of the door, leaning his back against it and splaying his legs out across the hallway.  

He nearly falls asleep there, which might have been fine, had Ritsu not  _ rudely  _ yanked the door open and caused him to topple backwards gracelessly into the room.  

“What the  _ fuck,  _ Kuma-kun?”

“I could feel you sulking all the way from over in the bed.  It was annoying,” Ritsu hauls him to his feet. “What’s wrong?”

“Got room for an extra?” Izumi asks with a shrug.  “Unless you wanna kick your brother and Nazu-nyan out of my bed, I mean…”

“Gross,” Ritsu decides instantly, glaring at the wall that separates his room from Izumi’s so intently that Izumi’s amazed it doesn’t catch fire.  “Come on, then. Maa-kun, wakey-wakey, we’ve got a guest,” he shakes the boy’s shoulder and Mao grunts, opening his eyes. 

“Sorry to intrude,” Izumi says it more out of habit than anything because he’s _not_ , really, but he hops up beside Ritsu and leans back against the headboard.  “You up for talking?”

“Mm, about what?” Ritsu asks with a bored yawn, shifting Mao a little so that his head is pillowed in Ritsu’s lap and starting to stroke his fingers through Mao’s hair.  

“A few things,” Izumi frowns, trying to decide where the best place to start is.  “Your brother, to begin with, since he’s the reason I’m not in my own bed right now.”

“What about him?” Ritsu looks like he’d rather be talking about  _ anything  _ else.  

“I guess I thought from hearing you go on and on about it that vampires are...monogamous?  Or at least that once they decide on a mate they don’t need to shop around,” he gets more comfortable, tugging the blanket over his legs.  “And I know Kao-kun well enough that I’m pretty sure they’ve got something.”

“We’re not all the same,” Ritsu shakes his head, looking marginally more awake the next time he blinks his crimson eyes open.  “Anija...his appeal is a lot more ...sexual than mine. Of course I still need to feed and the most enjoyable way for it to happen is when arousal is part of it, but he’s surprisingly not the biggest fan of blood so it’s harder for him to keep his energy levels up,” he chuckles.  “I didn’t know who he was bedding, but I got the impression it’s more a matter of convenience than anything so it’s very possible he doesn’t have a mate and is simply latching on to whoever's closest when the urge strikes him.”

“Sounds like a fucking awful way to live,” Izumi grunts, getting a shrug in return.  

“Good thing we’re not alive, then,” he smiles wryly as Mao yawns and opens his eyes.  

“You won’t want to hear this, but your brother’s appeal is also a lot more...abrupt than yours is,” he offers.  “At least, that’s how it felt the day I met him.”

“Ew,” Ritsu predictably replies and Mao laughs, nuzzling against the vampire’s stomach.  “But you know, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had other plans, too. He’s always meddling,” he rolls his eyes and Izumi figures that’s all he’s going to get out of Ritsu on this particular topic, but hopefully it means his room will be free by morning.  

“It also helps that I’m not interested in other guys,” Mao’s looking up at Ritsu with such fondness that Izumi isn’t even going to question that.  “Ritsu’s kind of an exception to every rule I thought I had.”

“Yeah, Kao-kun’s definitely not as straight as he claims to be,” Izumi mutters.  “But seriously, you’ve never been into a guy before? With the way Hasumi dotes on you…”

“Hasumi-san’s like an older brother to me,” Mao says firmly.  “I’m not into guys, I’m just into Ritsu.”

“And I’m not  _ really  _ a human, so it works out nicely,” Ritsu grins.  “I’d judge you if you said you liked him, though, since anyone my brother’s had is automatically gross to me.”

“Good thing you don’t have to worry,” Mao pushes himself up and Ritsu helps him sit, pulling him in for a kiss.  “Ricchan, we have company.”

“Fine, fine,” Ritsu curls his arm around Mao and pulls him protectively to his side. “What else is bothering you?  You didn’t come just to complain about my brother.”

“When did you get so perceptive?” Izumi raises an eyebrow at him.  “It’s about this party. I know I was the one who suggested it but I didn’t think it would turn into…”

“A bunch of hook-ups?” Ritsu nods.  “I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.  It’s not often we have a chance to unwind and being in this profession, you know as well as anyone that finding people you can trust is hard.  Relationships are damn near impossible unless you  _ totally _ luck out,” he smiles softly at Mao, “and everyone here is on the same page so it’s safe to have some fun.  If we were planning a serious meeting and it turned into this I’d understand being worried,” he adds, “but so far those have been amazingly productive considering Ou-sama’s hard to keep focused at the best of times.” 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Izumi sighs.  “I know this is going to take time and that we have to be careful, but I can’t help feeling like the longer we put it off and the more people come and go from here, Tenshouin’s going to figure it out.  We know he’s spying on us,” he looks pointedly at Mao here. 

“He is, but he can’t do anything except plot with me here,” Ritsu waves a hand, unconcerned.  “His little magician’s good, but his magic is paltry parlour tricks compared to the wards I’ve set, and as much as I hate to admit it, Anija’s even stronger than I am when it comes to protection spells.”

“Okay.  Okay,” Izumi concedes, leaning into Ritsu a little.  “Sorry I’m being so weird about this.”

“I’m glad you are,” Ritsu assures him, “since Ou-sama obviously won’t be.  But we’re as safe as we can be right now, and if I feel that changing, I’m not going to stay quiet.”

“I know,” Izumi closes his eyes.  “Mm, maybe I’m just tired and cranky.”

“You’re always cranky,” Ritsu replies and Izumi shoves his shoulder for that one.  “Seriously. Get some sleep, you’ll feel better in the morning,” he flops down against the pillows, pulling Mao with him and wrapping his arms around the young man.  

“Thanks, Kuma-kun,” Izumi says softly, knowing Ritsu’s ears will pick it up.  He settles himself so his back is pressed to the vampire’s, trying to calm the feeling that something  _ bad  _ is going to come out of all of this, and eventually drifts off to sleep.  

-

“You didn’t bite me.”

“I didn’t,” Rei confirms, stretching his limbs out and letting the generally all-too-brief feeling of being entirely sated flow through his body.  “Did you think I was serious about wanting to eat you?”

“Well, no, but I still thought…” Nazuna pulls the blankets up, endearingly self-conscious considering what they had just done.  

“This was just for fun.  And, as I said earlier, perhaps to allow you to work through some of your lingering feelings over Shu,” he knows he’s right about _that_ , anyway, since he’s lived among humans long enough to know when two people are pining for each other. 

“Why do you care?” Nazuna looks suspicious now and Rei reaches to pat his head.  “Hey!”

“Shu’s my dear friend, and the tension between the two of you is only going to hinder this entire process.  I have quite a thing for getting involved even when I shouldn’t be, but if I can help some people _and_ have some fun in the meantime, I’m sure you can’t blame me,” he hums, hair falling around his face in waves as he lies back and stares at the ceiling.  

“I dunno if I can trust a dark creature having such...altruistic motives,” Nazuna eventually says, drawing am amused laugh from Rei.  

“You can look at it that way if you prefer, but I assure you, most of the legends you’ve heard about vampires don’t come close to the reality.  I’ve always been overly fond of humans - to the point of it being a weakness, maybe - but my intentions are honorable.”

“Yeah.  I guess you coulda done whatever you wanted with me, huh?” Nazuna finally relaxes, his body stilling beside Rei.  “I mean, it was fun, you’re not wrong about that.”

“Oh, good.  I consider myself a bit of an expert in this field, so I’d be disappointed to get a bad review,” Rei props himself up on one arm and looks fondly down at Nazuna.  “You’re lovely, little rabbit. I can see why he covets you.”

“Coveting me was the problem,” Nazuna admits.  “Sometimes I think he forgot that I’m not just some sort of fancy marionette.”

“He’s changed, though.  Can’t you feel it?” Rei asks, because the transformation in Shu has been startling.  “He’s much more careful and considerate, and if I’m not mistaken, you’re a very large part of that.  If he hadn’t felt badly for how he treated you, do you think he’d be making such an effort now?”

“No,” Nazuna admits slowly.  “I...I know that, and I guess I’m...happy...that he’s trying to become a better person, but there’s a part of me that’s afraid that if I try anything with him again he’ll just slide right back to how he used to be,” he whispers, and his eyes are haunted when he looks at Rei.  “Does that makes me weak?”

“It makes you endearingly human,” Rei assures him, sliding his fingers through the long side of Nazuna’s hair. “And that’s something only _you_ can decide, but if I’ve helped in any way, I’ll consider tonight a success.”

“You did.  I think,” Nazuna nods.  “But ah…” he swallows, so noticeably that Rei can’t help but be drawn to the soft flesh of his throat.  “Y-you know, if you wanted a meal, I’d…”

“I can sustain myself for a while on pure sexual energy, but to be honest…” Rei moves quickly, pinning Nazuna to the bed and leaning to breathe him in deeply.  “I wouldn’t say no to a snack. Just a small one,” he adds. “No more than going for a blood test.”

“Okay,” Nazuna breathes out, the look in his eyes becoming more determined.  “Go ahead.”

Rei darts in as soon as he’s given permission, fangs easily piercing Nazuna’s skin.  Blood will never be his favorite beverage, but he’s hardly going to turn down an offer and in some ways drinking from a person will tell him more than simply talking to them ever could.  Humans, he thinks, are so unique - each one has a flavor that will never be duplicated and Rei can’t help but feel like he knows Nazuna much better just from tasting him this one time. 

He pulls away after two long swallows, unwilling to take more than that, and from the glazed look in Nazuna’s eyes he knows that it was enough.  “Okay?”

“Ah.  Y-yeah,” Nazuna wets his lips with his tongue.  “D-d’you think we should give Izumi-chin his room back?”

“I’m sure he’ll find other accommodation for the night,” Rei chuckles, lying back down and feeling the blood flow through him, warm and fulfilling. “Besides, I’d be a poor lover if I kicked you out now.”

“I wouldn’t hold it against you,” Nazuna stretches and curls into his side.  “But this is nicer.”

“Indeed,” Rei’s arm finds its way over Nazuna’s thin shoulders, tugging him closer.  “Sleep well, little rabbit.”

“You, too,” Nazuna’s words slur as his breathing evens out, and while Rei ha no intention of sleeping just yet, there’s a deep feeling of peace surrounding Knights’ base at the moment and he intends to bask in it.  

The wheels are set in motion now and times like this will be rarer with each passing day, so he’s going to savor this momentary bliss for as long as it lasts.  

-

“What was that?” Chiaki enters the room to a flutter of wings, seeing a small body hurtling itself out of the window.  “A cry for help?”

“Do not ‘worry,’” Kanata glances behind him, his sea-coloured eyes serene.  “It was a ‘message.’”

“A message?” Chiaki blinks, accepting the paper that Kanata passes to him.  It doesn’t mean much: a circle in the middle is drawn around what looks like a bat, a gear, and a bolt of lightning.  On one side of the picture is a fish and on the other is some kind of bird, but past that, Chiaki can’t make heads nor tails of it.  “What is it?”

“The others...they’re moving,” Kanata hums.  “You need to make a ‘choice.’”

“By the others, you mean?”

“Rei, Shu and Natsume have teamed up,” Kanata points to the circle.  “Probably with Knights, maybe others,” he shrugs. 

“So the fish is you and the bird is…”

“Wataru.  If he is sending this, he intends to ‘move,’ too.  It’s time,” he says firmly, and it’s a tone of voice Chiaki isn’t used to hearing.  “I know you are ‘troubled,’ because he is your ‘friend,’ but…”

“I can’t support him,” Chiaki says with a shake of his head.  “But that doesn't mean I want him dead!”

“They might not, either,” Kanata reaches to pat Chiaki’s arm.  “You will not know unless you make an effort. Talk to Kaoru,” he suggests.  “Or the silver-haired boy. If they are working together, they will have ‘answers.’”

“I…” Chiaki sighs.  “I guess it can’t hurt.  We’ll get a better idea of what they’re up to, anyway.”

“You want to be a ‘hero,” Kanata says softly.  “This is admirable, but it will not be easy. I believe in you, Chiaki,” he smiles, his entire face lighting up, and Chiaki can’t help but return it.  “I will follow you anywhere.”

“I won’t let you down!” Chiaki promises, standing up and clasping Kanata’s hand in his own.  He turns around and hurries from the room, snatching up his phone and letting his fingers hover over a name he hasn’t thought about since leaving the agency.  

He just hopes Kaoru hasn't changed his number.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up way longer than I had planned but I've had renewed inspiration to write lately so I wanted to take advantage of it! 
> 
> I do want to address some comments I've gotten regarding the plot and pairings in this fic, mostly just to say that yes, there are a lot of pairings, but even if some of it is a tad self-indulgent (which I don't think is a bad thing in fanfic regardless and personally I enjoy exploring the different dynamics between characters that may not get a lot of canon interaction), there is a reason for why things are happening the way they are and the overarching plot is still very much the focus even if every once in a while there's a chapter where things are a little lighter. 
> 
> That being said, if you are enjoying the fic, please feel free to leave a comment and thank you to all those that have left comments/kudos so far!


	15. Chapter 15

“Senacchi!”

“You’re too loud,” Izumi’s nursing a cup of coffee, slumped in a chair at the kitchen table.  He hadn’t gotten much rest because staying next to Ritsu was like sleeping beside a block of ice and he has no idea how Mao can do it on a regular basis, but at least he’d had a bed and he’s grateful for that much.  

None of that excuses Kaoru yelling into his ear, though.   

“Look!” Kaoru shoves a phone in his face and Izumi blinks to let his eyes adjust, his brow furrowing as he reads the text on the screen.  

“Holy shit,” he murmurs.  “Text him back!”

“What do I say?” Kaoru’s fingers hover over the phone, thumbs vibrating like he’s already starting to type.  

“Ask him...fuck, no,” Izumi rubs his temples.  “We can’t have him coming here, Tenshouin will see it for sure.  Let’s meet him at a coffee house or something, somewhere neutral,” he suggests, the words barely out of his mouth before Kaoru’s replying.  “Sit and have some coffee, you’re making me nervous with your hovering.”

“Yeah,” Kaoru goes to pour himself a cup, nearly spilling it when his phone vibrates and he’s rushing back to the table to check it.  “He says he knows a place...should we do this today?”

“The sooner the better, I think.  Ask him for a time and an address,” Izumi closes his eyes and sighs, mostly because he was expecting a relaxing day but when Chiaki’s involved the energy level he has to expend just to _exist_ next to the man goes up to incredible levels.  

“1:00,” Kaoru says after a few seconds, glancing at the top of his phone.  “That gives us two hours.”

“Good enough,” Izumi decides, downing the rest of his coffee and deciding that even if Nazuna and Rei aren’t awake yet he’s kicking them out of his bed because damn it, he needs to shower and it’s _his room_ anyway.  

He makes a detour to tell Leo they’re leaving, unsurprised when the other man darts out of bed half-naked with his phone in hand to take a picture before Izumi ‘disturbs the little bunny and the scary vampire’, and Izumi decides to let him do what he wants because trying to stop him isn’t worth it.  

Although, he might have mentioned Tsukasa going to bed with a ‘friend’ - just to distract Leo, because if the rest of them have to deal with this idiocy, he shouldn’t be exempt just because he’s new.  

It works, luckily, and Izumi’s only set back about ten minutes by the time his room eventually empties.  He makes a mental note to wash the sheets and heads to the bathroom, determined to let the hot water of the shower relax him as he tries to prepare himself for the day ahead.  

-

“You came!”

“Of course we did,” Izumi hisses, sunglasses firmly over his eyes even in the dim interior of the coffee shop.  Kaoru shakes his head, pulling his jacket down and hoping Chiaki doesn’t notice how rumpled his clothing is. Shu had worked miracles, somehow, and the stains were gone, but he didn’t exactly have anything else to wear.  

Then again, this was Chiaki, so Kaoru has no idea why he’s even the least bit nervous in the first place.  

“My old friend!”

“ _Hush,”_ Izumi’s rigid as Chiaki picks him up in an overly enthusiastic hug, laughing loud enough that every single person in the shop turns to look at them.  “I will kick you in the shin.”

“Sorry, sorry!” Chiaki’s hug for Kaoru is no less enthusiastic, although his volume lessens considerably.  “It’s good to see you both.”

“Same. You kind of dropped off the face of the earth, man,” Kaoru pats his shoulder when Chiaki lets him go, smiling and heading to the counter because he desperately needs coffee.  

...well.   _More_ coffee, since technically he’s had some already, but it’s not enough.  After last night and now with Chiaki…

Yeah.  He needs more coffee.  

“I’ll grab a seat!” Chiaki, thankfully, is _not_ drinking coffee, but Kaoru could only imagine how much _more_ hyped up he would be if he did.  He’s got a glass of water and seems perfectly content to wait for them, so Kaoru trudges up to the counter with Izumi in tow and just _barely_ restrains himself from ordering a double-shot of pure espresso.  (Izumi gets a skinny latte and Kaoru would make fun of him for it but, well, he guesses he should grudgingly respect how far Izumi goes to keep his model-trim figure).  

“So,” Izumi slides into the chair across from Chiaki, leaving Kaoru to take the seat between them.  “What made you reach out?”

“Kanata got a message from Hibiki,” he draws it out of the inside pocket of his coat, laying it on the table, and Kaoru glances at it.  “I don’t know how he read it at all, but he figures it means you all are moving against Tenshouin,” he’s speaking quietly now, thankfully, but Kaoru’s known for a long time that Chiaki _does_ possess a remarkable amount of tact when the situation depends on it.  

He wouldn’t have made it through the Agency otherwise.  

“Who’s Tenshouin’s little magician loyal to, anyway?” Izumi narrows his eyes.  “I mean, is he on our side? Or is this some kind of trap?”

“From what Kanata’s told me, he’s...not exactly on anyone’s side,” Chiaki frowns.  “He stayed with Tenshouin of his own free will, but he’s also still loyal to his old friends.”

“So why send you a message now?  What changed?” Kaoru’s suspicious too, if he’s being honest, and he doesn’t know Wataru that well but…

“Hasumi,” Izumi blinks like he’s realized something.  “He said that he would ask Hibiki if he knew where to find you.”

“Hasumi is…” Chiaki trails off, taking the paper back and tucking it inside his coat again.  “He’s with you?”

“Yeah.  He’s our inside man, as it were,” Izumi chuckles.  “He’s probably annoyed as fuck that he has to depend on Hibiki for anything, but if that’s the reason you were sent that message, we can assume they’re on the same page here.  Also,” he sits up, jabbing a finger in Chiaki’s direction in an an accusing manner. “Why didn’t you text _me?”_

“Hey!” Chiaki looks hurt.  “We weren’t sure if you were in on this!  We knew Sakuma was because of the message!”

“Okay, fine, that makes sense,” Izumi rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his coffee.  “So what’s your plan?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you,” Chiaki admits.  “Tenshouin...you know I stayed with him as long as I could, because I care about him as a friend.  We’ve known each other for years, but I can’t…” he breathes out so heavily his entire body slumps. “I don’t want him to keep doing what he’s doing.  I don’t want him to put people I care about, that _he_ cared about once, in danger.  But I don’t...I don’t want him to die, either.  So I don’t know where that leaves me,” he admits, and there’s something vulnerable about him now that Kaoru’s not used to seeing at all.  He reaches over to rub his back, leaving his hand on Chiaki’s shoulder.

“I mean, to be honest, if we’re talking about Hibiki and Hasumi, they’re not going to let him die, either,” Izumi says logically.  “His illness is going to kill him sooner or later, so I don’t see any reason to make it happen faster. If we take the threat away, I don’t particularly care if he lives through it.”

“You give me your word on that?” Chiaki looks up.  

“It’s not my decision, but I can talk to Ou-sama,” he decides after a second.  “He’s not as blood-thirsty as the rumors make him out to be, y’know.”

“Thanks,” Chiaki smiles, obviously relieved.  “Well, in that case! I, Morisawa Chiaki, will gladly lend all of the resources available to my Ryuseitai to you in order to complete this mission!”

“I think what your group should do for the moment is lay low,” Izumi says firmly, causing Chiaki to blink at him, one hand still raised in some sort of heroic victory-pose.  “I’m serious. Tenshouin already has _some_ idea that all of us are, if not allies, at least not fighting amongst ourselves which was his original goal.”

“How so?” Chiaki settles back in his chair.  

“He wanted to have us take each other out by convincing Itsuki that my partner was actually one of Tenshouin’s cronies,” Izumi obviously still doesn’t like talking about it, but Kaoru agrees that Chiaki has to know.  “He was tortured. Badly. Luckily everything worked out and there’s no real hard feelings anymore, but Tenshouin’s made it pretty clear he doesn’t care how many of us die as long as, in the end, we’re no longer a threat.”

“...Oh,” Chiaki slumps down a little, biting his lip.  “You both know I was loyal to him for...a lot longer than he deserved.  I left because I couldn’t warp my own sense of justice enough to believe what he was doing was right, but I didn’t think…”

“Yeah,” Kaoru sighs.  “I mean, Hasumi and Hibiki are closer to him than anyone else and if _they_ can’t convince him to stop…”

“I’ve known it for a while, I think,” Chiaki admits.  “I just wanted to believe things could be different.  He’s silent for a moment, brow furrowed as if he’s thinking deeply.  “So you think I should take a step back?”

“I think if you keep going about your activities normally, he won’t suspect anything.  Kao-kun can keep you updated and if the shit hits the fan and we need more numbers you’ll be on-call,” Izumi decides.  “I don’t like making these kinds of decisions without our leaders here, but since they’re not…”

“Okay.  I can do that,” Chiaki nods.  “If Hibiki keeps sending messages to Kanata we’ll be caught up with what’s going on with Tenshouin, too, so that might be useful.”

“It will be,” Kaoru agrees.  “He’s not sending messages to Re- Sakuma-san, because we’re supposed to be in hiding right now, and I doubt he’d try to contact Itsuki or his little apprentice if his moves could be tracked since Tenshouin _definitely_ knows where their base is.”

“Then I can still be of use even if i’m not out on the front-lines!” Chiaki bounces a little in his seat.  

“We need you, hero,” Kaoru assures him, patting his shoulder now..  

“I’ll be at your service!” Chiaki resumes his hero pose from earlier, puffing out his chest and generally being much too _loud_ again.  

“I’m glad you reached out to us,” Kaoru moves his hand away and takes a sip of his drink.  It’s still lukewarm, thankfully, but honestly the caffeine is the most important thing right now.  

“Whatever happens, you two will always be my dear friends,” Chiaki assures them, his tone warm and incredibly fond.  “I’m just thankful we’re all on the same side in this.”

“I think we all are.  Even if Senacchi won’t say it,” Kaoru teases, seeing a faint blush appear on Izumi’s cheeks as he snorts and covers his embarrassment by raising his coffee cup.  “It’s been good seeing you.”

“Likewise!” Chiaki nods quickly, getting to his feet a moment later.  “Well! I guess it’s safer for me to go now, but I’ll be in touch!”

“Right.  See you around,” Izumi nods, visibly trying not to roll his eyes as Chiaki dashes from the shop, nearly taking out a number of chairs in the process.  “He hasn’t changed.”

“That’s a good thing,” Kaoru decides, still smiling.  “But do we need to talk to Tsukinaga, or…?”

“Yeah, probably,” Izumi admits, shrugging.  “And you? What about Sakuma?”

“Ah, don’t worry about me,” Kaoru rubs the back of his neck, feeling his cheeks heat up.  “Sakuma-san’s pretty content as long as he can...I mean...uh…” he trails off, because even though he knows that Izumi knows he’s not as straight as he pretends to be, actually saying it out loud is…

“As long as he can snack on you, is that it?” Izumi looks unimpressed, pursing his lips.  “Kao-kun…”

“It’s fine,” Kaoru breathes out slowly.  “We’re not...it’s not like we’re _boyfriends,”_ he says it in a whisper, although it’s not like anyone else is listening in.  “You saw him last night, he’s not really the type to be monogamous, but it’s...he’d never do anything I wasn’t into,” he decides that’s a safe way of putting it.  

“Good.  I’m not scared of him, you know,” Izumi polishes off his coffee and tosses the cup into a nearby wastebasket.  “I live with his brother full-time.”

“Yeah.  I’m glad I have you to defend my honor,” Kaoru stands up and stretches, feeling slightly more alive now that he’s got some caffeine in his system.  “But! Tsukinaga?”

“Mm.  Let’s go tell Ou-sama,” Izumi agrees, leading the way out of the shop.

-

“Is this an ambush?” Leo grins at them when they enter the kitchen, tipping his chair back and flailing his arms to keep balanced.  Rei’s sitting across the table from him, looking half-asleep but more-or-less full to Kaoru’s eyes, and even though he doesn’t really _have_ to tell Rei about this, it saves time if he’s already there.  

“Oh, good, you’re back,” Rei sits up properly.  “We were waiting on you to go home,” he gestures to the living room, where Koga and Adonis are watching TV.  

“I could have made it there on my own,” Kaoru replies, grabbing a free chair and sitting down.  “Take the kids home.”

“Oi!” Koga yells from over on the couch and Kaoru turns to him, winking.  

“So what’s new?  You two snuck off together somewhere,” Leo looks like he’s pouting and Izumi reaches out to poke his shoulder.  

“We got in touch with someone.  Someone who’ll help us,” he adds, causing Leo to look up with obvious interest.  

“Moricchi texted me this morning...I guess Hibiki is sending messages via pigeon to Kanata-kun about the rest of us joining up and he wanted to see what we were up to,” Kaoru slings one arm over the back of his chair, getting more comfortable.

“He was particularly interested in our plans for Tenshouin.  I don’t think he would have agreed to anything if he’d have thought we were going to kill him,” Izumi puts in, staring intently at Leo.  “Because we don’t want to kill him. Right?”

“...No,” Leo finally admitted, obviously sulking.  “Even though I’d like nothing more than to see him suffer for what he did,” he growls, teeth bared, and Kaoru in that moment can see where his reputation for being a berserker comes from because he looks _unhinged._ His green eyes are narrowed to feral slits, lips pulled back enough to bare fangs that could rival Rei’s.  

“Ou-sama,” comes an exasperated voice from the kitchen door, and Kaoru glances over to see the man from the night before.  

“I won’t,” Leo promises, sighing heavily.  “I know you don’t want that.”

“You knew he didn’t want you to hurt Nazu-nyan either and you did it anyway,” Izumi grunts.  “When you get…” he waves a hand. “You’re not exactly in control of yourself.”

“I don’t want revenge.  I never have,” Arashi’s arms are wrapped around his body, his frame draped in an over-sized sweatshirt.  

“Come join us,” Kaoru held out a hand, grinning when Arashi takes it immediately and lets Kaoru draw him over to another chair.  He smiles warmly and Arashi returns it hesitantly, squeezing Kaoru’s hand briefly before letting go. He’s really _unfairly_ pretty, Kaoru thinks absently.  

“Keito would never let me touch him anyway,” Leo decides.  “I hope you told Morisawa that.”

“We did.  But we also told him to lay low and keep doing this...vigilante thing he’s got going on so Tenshouin doesn’t get more suspicious about the rest of us joining up,” Izumi adds.  

“Wahaha!  This is why you’re my favorite, Sena!  You’re so _smart_!” Leo throws his arms around Izumi and ends up knocking both of them to the floor.  

“Ou-sama, control yourself,” Izumi crawls out from under Leo and re-takes his seat, although Leo seems perfectly happy to sit on the ground.  “But I think we’ve gotten together everyone we can.”

“Not quite,” Rei puts in.  “I’ve got some...other connections that may be of use.  Two extra pairs of eyes, as it were. Or maybe just one,” he says it cryptically, chuckling after like he’s told some kind of funny joke.  

Kaoru knows he’s talking about the Aoi twins, anyway, and while they’re a set of pranksters, he knows they’re good spies.  

“Great!  That should be more than enough to do some serious damage to him!” Leo’s eyes are sparkling even as he sits like a child on the floor.  

“We can only hope,” Izumi doesn’t seem nearly as positive.  “He still has all the money and connections this city has to offer.”

“Those can only get him so far,” Rei promises.  “He doesn’t have friendship or loyalty, if even the _bozu_ and Wataru are starting to turn against him, and that will be his downfall.”

“As long as it happens before anyone gets hurt.  Anyone else,” Kaoru amends, glancing at Arashi again, and Arashi reaches to gently touch his knee before withdrawing.  

“That’s all I’m hoping for, too,” he murmurs, and Kaoru knows this is one thing that they all have in common.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the 3A trio so that was the main inspiration for this chapter. 
> 
> Thank you as always for reading! I haven't gotten many comments lately and they really are motivating so please feel free to leave one if you're so inclined :)


	16. Chapter 16

He isn’t exactly loyal to Eichi.  

Eichi, as it stands, just happens to be the guy he’s sort-of working for by virtue of his _actual_ leader working for him, but his views are fairly extreme and while it puts money in his pocket for the time being, he wouldn’t mind cutting ties should the opportunity present itself.  

That’s not likely to happen soon, with the way things are now, but his leader’s been sneaking around a bit too often lately and he knows Eichi’s starting to take notice if the mercenaries-for-hire he often sends out after him are any indication. So far he’s managed to intercept all of them, paying them off out of his own share and generally using his stature and his position to get his point across, but one day _somebody’s_ going to notice and if word gets back to Eichi...well, he doesn’t want to think about that.  

This time he follows his leader all the way to a nondescript building, the heavy door and cleverly hidden security camera speaking to the fact that it’s not just an old warehouse as it might seem to a casual passer-by, and he watches the man slip inside after a few moments.  

He sits down out of sight to wait, pulling his hood over his rather distinctive hair and preparing to hide out until there’s movement.  

“Danna...what the hell are you up to?”

-

“I shouldn’t be here.”

“You say that every time you come over!” Leo reminds him, slapping his back much too hard and steering him toward the kitchen.  He doesn’t need to, since Keito’s been here so many times that he knows the passageways by heart, but it’s still better to pretend he’s a stranger.  

“Because it’s true,” Keito insists, sliding down into a chair and accepting the cup of coffee that he’s passed.  “I just don’t trust sending messages anymore in case Eichi intercepts them.

“So what’s the problem?” Izumi’s holding Nyanko in his lap, scratching her ears absently.  “Do we need to be worried?”

“No.  Not _yet,”_ Keito decides.  “But Hibiki and I can only do so much to throw Eichi off of everyone’s trail and I think our excuses are starting to grow thin.  He’s managed to fool Eichi into thinking he has no idea where Rei is so far but…”

“Tenshouin’s smart.  He’s not going to fall for that for much longer,” Izumi sighs, knowing that it’s true. 

“If he had more resources and more loyal followers I think we would have already been exposed, but we can fool him for a while longer.  All I can suggest is coming up with a plan fast, or else being a lot more careful about traveling freely between all of your bases,” he adds, since he has a fairly good feeling with Leo involved any sort of plan isn’t going to get formed rapidly.  

“We’re getting there!” Leo promises, looking predictably unconcerned.  “We’ve got numbers, don’t worry!”

“I worry,” Keito says dryly, about to open his mouth and say _more_ when he heard footsteps and turns.  

“Hasumi-san?” Mao has one hand on the kitchen doorframe.  “I thought I heard your voice.”

“Isara.  It’s been a while,” Keito smiles, because even though he’s been here far too often, usually Mao is either out running errands or in the younger Sakuma brother’s room so Keito hasn’t had much of a chance to speak with him.  “You look well.”

“You look...tired, sir,” Mao says honestly, and Keito supposes that it must be true.  “But I guess I should thank you for getting me out of there even if I would have preferred knowing before-hand.”

“I’m sorry that I sent you on an impossible mission,” Keito says carefully, watching for Mao’s reactions.  “But I’m not sorry I kept you safe. I knew nobody here would hurt you.”

“That’s all well and good, sir, but _I_ didn’t,” Mao points out, and Keito feels _slightly_ guilty after that.  “But I know what your intentions were, so it all worked out.”

“Good,” Keito’s feeling worse than he thought he would hearing Mao say everything so bluntly, because it’s true: he _was_ selfish, and he’d decided what was best for Mao without consulting the boy about any of it.  “I would never do anything to hurt you, you realize.”

“I know,” Mao assures him.  “And I know that sending me here was the best thing that you could do, but it still would have been nice to know I wasn’t going to die,” he doesn’t look all that angry, at least, so Keito has to assume he’s already mostly been forgiven.  

“If nothing else, I’m glad you’re out of there,” Keito smiles at him and Mao wanders over, seating himself beside the older man.  “Though I didn’t expressly send you here to share a vampire’s bed,” he says it lightly and Mao rolls his eyes.

“Voluntarily,” he promises.  “Although Ritsu’s...kind of persuasive.”

“I have enough experience with that family to know the truth of that,” Keito laughs, letting himself relax a bit more.  “So you’re settling in here, then?”

“Not...officially,” Mao admits, his eyes darting to Leo and Izumi.  “I mean, I’m not really a member, but for now…”

“We’ve got all we need,” Leo doesn’t look sorry about that as he shrugs.  “He can stay, though.”

Keito makes a small, thoughtful noise because he can tell that Mao _doesn’t_ really feel as if he belongs with Knights even if his feelings for Ritsu might be extremely strong.  Leo can be rather set in his ways and Keito can imagine that it would wear down a person eventually, even somebody as motivated and good-natured as Mao.  

“What about the rest of your group back from the Agency?” he asks, causing Mao to look up in surprise.  “Those three friends you had…”

“Ah,” Mao shrugs.  “They all left when things fell apart and I only stayed because…”

“Because I asked you to,” Keito fills in.  “But there’s no reason you couldn’t form your own group now, with the way things are.”

“I...I don’t even know where any of them are,” Mao admits softly.  “They all had other dreams, I think, but being an agent was the best choice for me so it wasn’t much of a decision to accept your offer.  I don’t think they were happy that I was willingly staying there but I can’t say for sure and right now I have no way to find them. Subaru I think wanted to follow his dad into entertainment, Hokuto was going to pursue acting, and Makoto…” he frowns.  “I don’t think he wanted to go back to modelling, but…”

“Yuu-kun?” Izumi suddenly sits up straighter, looking very interested.  “Yuuki Makoto, right?”

“You know him?” Mao looks surprised.  “Oh! Right, I guess if he’s a model…”

“I knew him when we were kids,” Izumi frowns, speaking slowly as if he’s choosing every word carefully.  “We were modeling back then, too, but I had no idea he’d followed me to the Agency.”

“Ah, yeah, he talked about his senior being the reason he’d wanted to check it out,” Mao blinks.  “I guess those of us in different years never really ran into each other, huh?”

“I think it was designed it that way,” Keito sighs.  “The less interaction there was, the more easily Eichi could try to control things without too much talking going on.  Of course it happened sometimes, but I feel like a lot more of you _should_ have known each other given that your time there overlapped at least a bit.”

“ _Anyway,”_ Izumi clears his throat.  “Yuu-kun. How is he?” he leans almost across the table and Mao shrinks back a bit.  

“Fine!  The last time I saw him, anyway, but that was months ago now,” he sighs. “I really should try to contact them…”

“I’ll ask the next time I’ve got a shoot,” Izumi decides.  “If he’s working for the same company, I’m sure I can convince someone to give up his contact information,” he smirks and Keito thinks that, for as much as he’s smitten by Izumi, the other man’s undoubtedly dangerous and right now he looks on the cusp of obsession.  

“Thanks,” Mao seems as suspicious as Keito feels, but really, he doesn’t think Izumi has any malicious intentions.  “Even if nothing comes from it and they really do want to give up on being agents, at least it’s a place to start.”

“Right,” the crazed light fades from Izumi’s eyes a little as he sits back.  

“Well, I shouldn’t interrupt your meeting any longer,” Mao stands and bows.  “It’s good to see you, sir.”

“Likewise.  Take care of yourself,” Keito can’t hide the fondness in his voice and Mao flashes a smile at him before retreating back down the hall toward the bedrooms.  

“Well!” Leo jumps to his feet.  “I’ll be back! Sitting for too long kills my inspiration!  Wahaha!” he dashes out of the kitchen, Izumi rolling his eyes at the rather childish antics before his attention focuses on Keito again.  

“While we’re alone...has he spoken to you?”

“Regarding…?” Keito leaves the question hanging, because Leo always leaves him random messages and incoherent rambling, but trying to glean any sort of useful information out of that is trying at the best of times.  

“If he had, you’d know what I was talking about,” Izumi reasons, biting his lip and staring down at the tabletop.  “So that’s a no.”

“Is it something I should know?” Keito’s a little curious now, especially since Izumi isn’t exactly the type to shirk away from saying.. _anything,_ really.  

“It’s not about Tenshouin,” Izumi shakes his head.  “It’s more...personal.”

“Ah,” Keito frowns, suddenly having a fairly good idea of the subject matter.  “Does it pertain to the offer you extended to me the last time I was here?”

“Yeah.  I guess,” Izumi’s pointedly not meeting his eyes, staring down instead at the cat in his lap and stroking its head gently.  

“I know you and he are... _involved,”_ Keito says carefully, not wanting to make Izumi angry.  “Or at the very least that your relationship is far more complicated than it needs to be.  But I do have a _bit_ of pride, you know.  I’m not going to let myself be used as some sort of...middle-man for the two of you to figure things out.”

“That’s not it,” Izumi shakes his head. “Naru-kun...he said that Ou-sama and I will never work by ourselves, that we need a third party to balance us out, and I think he’s right.”

“Again, this isn’t exactly making me feel as though I’d be anything but a buffer between you,” Keito narrows his eyes, unsure how he should feel.  It’s not like he gets a lot of _offers,_ really, so in that sense it’s appealing enough, and he’s not looking for any kind of relationship - but it still feels like he has no say and, quite frankly, he’s tired of that.  

“He likes you a lot.  I can tell by the way he talks about you,” Izumi counters.  “And I know you like me, so…”

“This isn’t anywhere _near_ what we should be discussing,” Keito cuts him off, although he’s not sure if he’s trying to change the topic because he really _is_ offended or because he’s considering it more than he logically should.  “And since you said he has to be the one to initiate it, I don’t think we should say another word about it.”

“Yeah.  Right,” Izumi’s sulking and it’s decidedly _un_ attractive, so Keito tries to hold onto that because, deep down, he knows dealing with both of them on a regular and far more _intimate_ basis would only exhaust him more than they already do.  “He said you’d say yes,” he adds, sniffing and leaning back casually in his chair, being careful not to dislodge the cat.  

“He doesn’t know me as well as he thinks,” Keito replies shortly.  “I’m not that desperate.”

Izumi narrows his eyes, though he doesn’t say anything else and they sit in rather awkward silence until Leo sweeps back in.  

If he notices anything, he doesn’t comment on it, and the rest of their meeting is spent with Leo reassuring Keito that he’s got _everything_ under control.  

Keito still doesn’t believe him, of course, but he’s got enough on his mind now that he’ll pretend he does.  

-

“You’re damn lucky I’m the one who tailed you.”

Keito lets out a rather unholy noise because the last thing he’d expected to hear upon leaving Knights’ base was a _voice_ right in his ear, and he’s instinctively reaching for his gun before his wrist is grabbed in a grip that feels strong enough to bend iron and wrenched behind his back.

“You’re smarter than this.”

“Kiryu,” he feels the tension seep out of his body.  “How did you…”

“You’ve been sneakin’ off so often that somebody’s bound t’ notice, y’know?  It’s just lucky Tenshouin’s down in numbers right now so I can cover for ya,” he whispers, though his grip on Keito’s arm doesn’t loosen.  “You wanna fill me in?”

“I’d rather not,” Keito keeps looking forward, speaking just low enough that he knows Kuro will be able to hear him.  “If anyone’s going to take the fall for this, it should be me alone.”

“Too damn noble,” Kuro mutters, letting go of Keito.  “At least tell me who you’re sneakin’ off to see in there.”

“Tsukinaga,” Keito doesn’t see any point in lying about _this -_ since Eichi knows well enough where Knights’ base is, Kuro somehow finding out wouldn’t be out of the question.  

“Mm,” Kuro sounds thoughtful and he’s blinking slowly when Keito turns to look at him.  “One more question.”

“Fine, but I can’t promise I’ll answer,” Keito starts walking briskly toward the main road, leaving Kuro to follow.  

“What d’you mean by taking the fall?” he presses, insistent enough that Keito has a feeling he won’t get out of this without telling at least some semblance of the truth.

“Let’s just say that if Eichi figures out why I’m paying so many visits to Knights, things probably won’t turn out well for me,” he settles on.  “I don’t want to drag either of you into my mess.”

“You’re set on that, huh,” Kuro sighs.  “I can’t say I like it, but if it’s to keep Kanzaki safe, I’ll agree.  You know you don’t have to protect _me,_ right?” he presses and Keito waves his hand dismissively  

“Yes, yes, you’re big and strong and can take care of yourself,” he shakes his head.  “Regardless, I’d rather not see you tortured over something you had no part in.”

Kuro makes a non-committal sound, his pace matching Keito’s as he moves to walk beside him.  “Look, I might not be the smartest guy out there, but I have a pretty good guess as to what’s going on here.  I’ll do what I can t' keep you safe, but…”

“I know.  I’ll be more cautious in the future,” Keito _will,_ that’s not a lie.  Now that he knows Kuro’s been the reason he’s gotten away with it so far, he needs to be very careful about spending too much time with Knights.  “Thank you, by the way.”

“Nah, ‘s nothing.  You’re my leader, right?  Gotta look out for you,” Kuro ruffles his hair and Keito stops walking to glare at him, though he can’t really stay annoyed for long.  

“Let’s hope we don’t have to do this for much longer, then,” he lets Kuro lead him back toward their own base, wondering what he’s done to deserve such loyal team members but grateful for it nonetheless.  

-

“And where were _you_ today?”

“I don’t see that as being any of your business,” Keito sweeps by the tiny pink-haired man, not sparing him a second glance.  Tori would _love_ the chance to get some gossip on him and run to Eichi, after all, but while Eichi is very fond of the Himemiya heir (or, more precisely, the money the Himemiya heir will one day inherit), Keito knows his worth where Eichi is concerned and it’s far too high to be taken over by someone like Tori.  “We’re all free to come and go as we please, are we not?”

“Hmm…” Tori narrows his eyes, hands settled on his hips as he leans forward.  “Fine, then.”

“Good day to you, too,” Keito says without a hint of politeness, sweeping by Tori and his butler - who, truth be told, is _much_ more intimidating than Tori could ever hope to be.  He’s taken over the position of head torturer ever since Tsumugi and Eichi had their falling-out and while Keito doesn’t think he lacks empathy the way his predecessor does, he’s no stranger to fighting and it shows in his work.  

And Keito would rather _not_ be on the receiving end of any of that, thank you very much.  

He turns down the hall toward the quarters that Akatsuki use, unsurprised to see a pigeon fluttering toward him.  

“Any news?” he asks the bird, who disappears in a poof of smoke to reveal Wataru, holding another black rose that he offers to Keito.  

“Ah, you should know better than I!  For unless I am mistaken - and I rarely am - you’ve come straight from the source!” he flips his hair back rather dramatically.  “Remember that my task is merely to be a messenger in all of this. I know nothing more than what you’ve already told me.”

Keito somehow doubts the truth of that, but if Wataru’s going to be obstinate, he sees no reason to be especially helpful in return.  “I’ve been assured that things are progressing,” he replies, and while it’s not a lie, it’s certainly not revealing everything.

“Good, good,” Wataru claps his hands, the pigeon appearing out of nowhere to flutter down and land on his shoulder.  “The wards around you are still strong, by the way. Rei must really want you safe,” he smirks knowingly before dashing down the corridor and Keito rolls his eyes toward the ceiling.  

“This _must_ be damn serious if yer cooperatin’ with _him_ , of all people,” Kuro looks like he doesn’t quite know how to process Wataru and Keito can sympathize with him there.  Kuro’s far too straightforward and practical to see eye-to-eye with a being as eccentric as their resident magician, after all.

“Needs must,” Keito opens the door to their rooms, expecting to be accosted immediately by a questioning Souma, and he’s not disappointed.  

Kuro tries to fend the young man off, holding him at arm’s length and assuring him that they’re both okay, and Keito allows himself a brief moment to look at his teammates and feel a spike of utmost fondness for them.  

He knows he’s made the right choice.

And as long as it keeps them safe, it doesn’t matter what happens to him.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone was wondering about Akatsuki and Trickstar (or their members, at least), here they are!
> 
> Thanks again for all the feedback and kudos on this fic, it means a lot :)


	17. Chapter 17

The gym is quiet.  

That’s good, because if there was anyone else around he certainly wouldn’t be here, but this way he can get some training in without feeling self-conscious.  

His body hasn’t lost too much of its strength in the last couple of months, which he supposes is a positive thing, but there’s a part of him that almost wishes his muscles had disappeared entirely. 

It’s unlikely, of course.  

But that doesn’t mean he still won’t wish for it.

Still, being almost otherwordly strong and fast has its advantages in the job he has, and after being confined to bed-rest for so long it almost feels  _ nice  _ to push himself to a kind of exhaustion that lets him fall into a dreamless sleep and leaves him feeling refreshed the next day.  

He slips his overclothes off, leaving him in only the sleeveless top and shorts that make up his workout attire, and tries to ignore the myriad of scars on his arms and thighs.  

It’s not easy, even now, but as long as he’s by himself he can turn his mind to other things.  

“Narukami?”

“Shit!” he scrambles for his clothes, partially because the voice isn't immediately familiar and partially because there’s a voice at  _ all.   _ “Who’s there?!”

“Ah, forgive me for intruding,” the words are low and measured, unthreatening enough that Arashi lets his guard down slightly.  “But it would be a lie if I said I was not hoping to encounter you here.”

“Adonis?” he asks, the rich timbre of the other man’s voice and his too-formal, stilted way of speaking giving him away once Arashi's initial surprise has worn off.  “What are you doing here?”

“Your...King?” he says the word slowly.  “He said that I could make use of your training equipment should I so desire.  There is little in the way of it where I live as the other members of Undead have different means of keeping themselves in shape,” he sounds slightly amused and Arashi  _ kind  _ of wants to ask, but he’s not sure they know each other well enough for that.  

“Come in, then,” Arashi forces himself to unfurl a little, almost glad now that Adonis already knows about the state his body is in.  

“You have my gratitude,” Adonis nods to him as he enters, his eyes not even straying to look at Arashi’s arms or legs.  “I thought upon seeing you last time that perhaps you would consent to being my training partner when you next felt up to it.  I can tell your strength rivals mine,” he says it warmly but for Arashi it’s just a reminder of the thing he’s trying so hard to forget.  

He flinches back a little, knowing Adonis sees it.  

“Have I said something wrong?” Adonis looks concerned, his deep golden eyes full of apprehension.  

“No, no,” Arashi clears his throat.  “That is, I’m sure you’re right, but for me...I’ve never wanted to be strong, you know?  If I was small and cute I’d be much happier,” he admits softly. 

“Ah,” Adonis doesn’t quite look like he understands, but he nods regardless.  “Where I am from, strength is highly valued - both for personal reasons and because it grants the ability to protect those who cannot do so for themselves.”

“I see,” Arashi crosses his arms.  “So you’re saying…”

“Merely that, if you are able to look out for those you cherish, there is some merit in it,” he nods, smiling a little, and Arashi can at least _appreciate_ his point of view.  

Mika, for instance, could never be as strong as him no matter how much he worked out - his body just wasn’t built for that, and he feels a fierce protective urge bubble up at the idea that neglecting his training might put the people he loves in danger. 

“I guess I’m being selfish, huh?” he sighs and shakes his head.  

“I believe it is warranted, given what you have endured,” Adonis replies gently, and Arashi can’t exactly refute that.  

He  _ is  _ being selfish, probably, but Adonis is so damn earnest and blunt that he can’t help but feel a little guilty for all the moping he’s been doing.  

Lying in bed isn’t going to heal the wounds that still fester, after all, so he suggests getting started and Adonis agrees eagerly, stretching his arms above his head and making every inch of his toned, muscular body look even more chiseled.  

“Let’s begin.”

-

“Forgive me if I’m being too forward, but there is something still troubling you,” Adonis says it while they’re taking a break, and Arashi downs about half a bottle of water and brushes his sweat-soaked hair away from his eyes.  

He  _ hates  _ getting sweaty normally but right now the burn in his muscles and the rapid breaths he’s taking as he tries to cool down is actually making him feel more like himself for once.  

“Huh?”

“Your mind is elsewhere,” Adonis clarifies, frowning like he’s trying to figure out what words to use.  “I know we are merely acquaintances, but if you wish to confide in me, nobody else will hear of it,” he vows. 

It’s a nice gesture, and Arashi would appreciate it _far_ more if he was able to articulate what exactly  _ was  _ bothering him even though, deep down, he knows.  

“I can’t move past it.”

He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, not really, but the words had slipped out regardless and he’s not about to take them back.  

“Ah,” Adonis, bless his heart,  _ gets it  _ and doesn’t ask for him to explain more.  “If I may, what is holding you back?”

“I...I don’t know, honey,” the term slips out without Arashi even realizing, but it means he’s feeling comfortable around Adonis and that’s not a bad thing.  He sits down against the wall, staring down at his legs and idly tracing the thick white line of a scar that curves over his inner thigh. “It’s not _what_ happened...I’ve come to terms with what was done to me, as much as it’s possible, but…”

“But something still holds you back,” Adonis blinks a few times, sitting down beside him.  “Sometimes in order to face the future, we first need to confront the past,” he says it like it’s something he’s heard and doesn’t quite believe, but it’s fitting nonetheless.  “Perhaps your conflict bears a more human face?”

“Potentially,” Arashi’s thinking hard, brow furrowed.  “But I don’t even think it’s possible for me to confront... _ him... _ I couldn't…”

“No,” Adonis agrees, reaching to pat is shoulder comfortingly.  “No, if someone had hurt me that badly, I would feel the same. Is there anyone else?”

“There’s…” Arashi looks up, suddenly realizing.  “One. The one who sold me out. I’m not... _ mad  _ at him, exactly, but I think the resentment is still there,” he sighs heavily.  “Ah, what an ugly thing.”

“Is it possible to start with him, then?” Adonis squeezes his shoulder.  

“He’s here often enough, so probably,” Arashi doesn’t exactly look _forward_ to confronting Nazuna about this, since so far he’s tried to mostly ignore his presence, but on the other hand…

Well, nobody else will know exactly how he’s feeling as well as Nazuna will, really.  

“You do not have to take my advice,” Adonis says quickly, like he’s worried he’s being too pushy.  

“No, it’s...it’s alright,” Arashi pulls his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them.  “I’m so tired of feeling weak and like a shell of my true self. I’ll take anything at this point.”

“You are not weak, Narukami,” Adonis sounds almost angry.  “You have been through much more than any of the rest of us, and your heart is unmarred by it.  That is strength.”

“You make it sound so  _ easy _ ,” Arashi groans, because there’s really no way out of it now.  

He _has_ to do this.  

“I hope, for your sake, that it will be,” Adonis withdraws his hand and Arashi turns to look at him properly.  “What is it?”

“Thank you.”

“No,” Adonis shakes his head, a blush rising on his dark skin.  “I do not think I deserve credit. What I told you...I am certain you knew it already.”

“Maybe,” Arashi winks.  “But sometimes it sticks more when someone else says it.”

“I see.  Then I am happy to have been of service to you,” Adonis nods so deeply it looks like a bow and Arashi giggles, his heart already feeling lighter.  

“Well, this has been nice and all, but we came here to train, right?  I bet I can lap the gym faster than you,” he stands, hands on his hips, and knows damn well that he  _ can’t  _ but…

But this feels normal.  This feels  _ right.   _ And if Adonis is surprised by his sudden attitude change, he doesn’t mention it, instead accepting Arashi’s hand to pull him to his feet and leveling an intense stare at the other man.  

“You’re on, Narukami.”

-

“Adonis?  Are you in here?”

“Hakaze,” Adonis startles a little, glancing toward the door.  “I had not realized it had gotten so late.”

“It’s fine,” Arashi doesn’t feel like getting up, really, and he definitely doesn’t have the energy to pull any more clothes on so Kaoru, he supposes, will just have to deal with seeing him this way.  

At least he knows.  It’s a small comfort, but explaining it is always the worst thing so in that regard, Kaoru is already safe.  

“Sakuma-san sent me to pick you up,” Kaoru leans against the door, arms crossed and wearing what looks like a motorcycle jacket.  “It’s almost nightfall.”

“Sorry,” Adonis looks vaguely chagrined.  “We made some progress today, though, didn’t we?” he looks at Arashi, and Arashi nods.  

“We did.  Thank you,” he pulls the jacket of his tracksuit around his shoulders like a shawl and moves to get to his feet.  

“Hey,” Kaoru moves forward, holding out his hand and helping Arashi up.  “You good?”

“Fine,” Arashi chuckles.  “Ugh, I’m all sweaty and gross, though, you shouldn’t have to see a girl in this state,” he sniffs and Kaoru reaches for his jacket, draping it more securely around Arashi’s body.  

“Nonsense,” he lets his hands linger on Arashi’s shoulders.  “You look radiant.”

“You’re lying, but I’ll accept it,” Arashi decides, unable to keep from smiling, especially when Kaoru holds out his arm to escort him.  

Adonis follows them out of the gym and back to the main living space, Arashi feeling more comfortable in the company of these men than he ever would have thought a few weeks ago, but when they pass the kitchen he sees somebody sitting at the table that makes the all-too-familiar panic start to rise again.  

“Hmm?” Kaoru must feel him tense up and follows his gaze, blinking slowly.  “What is it?”

“Ah,” Adonis says in a low voice.  “Is that, perhaps…”

“Yes,” Arashi murmurs, tugging on Kaoru’s arm so they’re down the hall before Nazuna can notice them.  “I...I know I said…”

“Hey,” Kaoru’s arm slides around his shoulders.  “What’s wrong?”

“Narukami and I were discussing the possibility of him confronting the person who had sold him out, but I do not think either of us expected it to happen right away,” Adonis answers and Arashi is thankful as always for him because he doesn’t even think he can form words right now.  

“Shit,” Kaoru sighs.  “I mean, the little rabbit isn’t super scary, at least?  But knowing he’s the reason you…”

“Yes,” Arashi nods, sliding away from Kaoru.  “But the two of you should go before it gets too late.  I’ll be fine,” he forces a braves smile onto his face, one that he knows won't fool either of them, but his pride demands that he at least _try_.  

“If you're certain,” Adonis nods to him, almost a bow again, and Kaoru gives him a gentle smile.  

“You’ll be alright,” the blond assures him, taking Arashi's hand and kissing the back of his fingers.  “Until we meet again.”

“Thank you.  Both of you,” Arashi pulls the jacket around himself again, watching as they leave and debating whether or not to just hole himself away in his room and face Nazuna some other day.

But no.  Nazuna’s here, and it almost seems too perfect to be a coincidence, so he tells himself sternly to take a shower and then go out to confront his fears.  

If he’s going to heal at all, he needs to do this.  

He _needs_ to.

-

“Naru!”

“Ou-sama,” Arashi nods to Leo as he enters the kitchen, hands clenched into fists at his side and his palms sweating rather embarrassingly while he tries to maintain a facade of outward calm.  He’d almost,  _ almost  _ reverted to his now-customary baggy clothing but had forced himself to dress properly: some outfit from a modeling shoot, he’s sure, but it bares his arms and fits his body perfectly and that’s what he needs now.  This won’t work unless Nazuna can  _ see  _ the effect of his actions, after all.  

“Hey!” Leo takes Nazuna off of his lap and sets him on the chair, bounding over with a grin on his face.  “You look hot!”

Arashi rolls his eyes, catching Leo when he tries to jump on him.  “Ou-sama, I’d like to talk to…” his eyes flick to Nazuna. “Alone.”

“Ah,” Leo sobers immediately, stepping back and nodding once.  “I see. Take your time,” he squeezes Arashi’s hand on the way by and disappears down the hall.  

“Uh…” Nazuna gives him a timid little smile.  “What…”

“Let’s go somewhere more comfortable,” Arashi decides, walking stiffly into the living room and dropping gracelessly onto the sofa.  

“O-okay…” Nazuna follows slowly, inching himself toward a chair on the opposite side of the room until Arashi clears his throat.  “But…”

“Here,” Arashi’s hand can barely move but he pats his lap nonetheless, keeping his eyes locked on Nazuna.  

“No offense, but I’m not entirely sure you won’t try to strangle me if I sit on you,” Nazuna’s entirely body is radiating nervousness, gaze darting around like he wants nothing more than to bolt out of the base entirely.  

“Ou-sama’s too fond of you for me to jeopardize your safety,” Arashi assures him, and that much is true.  “This...isn’t easy for me to talk about, so not having to yell across the room would be preferable.”

“I…” Nazuna shuffles a little closer, eventually darting the rest of the way and plopping himself on Arashi’s lap as fast as he can.  

Arashi freezes, his breath choking him in his throat, but Nazuna leans into his shoulder and he’s small and warm and  _ safe  _ and Arashi’s body decides to betray him again as tears form in his eyes.  

“I’m sorry,” Nazuna mumbles into his collar.  “I’m so sorry,” he sounds choked up himself and Arashi can’t reply, can’t make any sounds form that even resemble words, but his body still works so he wraps Nazuna up tightly in his arms.  “I know you’re a good person, I never meant to…” he hiccups, his words trailing off. “Sorry.”

“No,” Arashi finally croaks.  “No, it’s...you did what you had to…”

“Still…” Nazuna’s so  _ close  _ and alive and Arashi can see why Leo’s so fond of holding him like this.  “I didn’t even think…”

“You didn’t have to,” Arashi says quietly.  “Your priority was your team, and some stranger getting hurt as a result wouldn’t have been a factor at all.”

“You’re not a stranger now, though,” Nazuna points out.  “And Mika-chin loves you, so that makes it even worse…”

“It was a lot of bad things coming together,” Arashi concedes with a sigh, a shiver passing through his body when Nazuna idly trails his fingers over one of the many scars lining his arms.  

“Sorry,” Nazuna says again, pulling back quickly.  

“I’m sure you’ve got some of your own,” Arashi smiles ruefully.  “I’m starting to get used to them. Maybe.”

Nazuna curls even closer, pulling his feet up onto Arashi’s legs.  “You’re really pretty,” he mumbles, his hair tickling Arashi’s neck as he tucks his head there again.  

“Yeah?” Arashi wants to deny it, because he’s so used to doing that lately, but there’s also a part of him that knows everyone that tells him how beautiful he is isn’t simply lying or doing it to make him feel better - they  _ mean  _ it, and he’s fairly sure Nazuna is no different.  “Thank you.”

“Mm-hmm,” Nazuna hums, sounds half-asleep.  “Ah, sorry! I don’t want to fall asleep on you, I’m sure just touching me at all isn’t easy.”

“It’s alright,” Arashi says quietly.  “I don’t mind. In the end...you’re not the one that hurt me.  I don’t think I could ever stand to have _his_ hands on me again,” he admits.  “So knowing that you can with Ou-sama...you’re a lot stronger than me.”

“Mm, I don’t think so,” Nazuna rests one hand against Arashi’s chest, tilting his head to the side in a rather rabbit-like movement as he considers his next words.  “It’s more like...I knew it was coming and...to be honest, I think I blacked out pretty fast. You were there for…”

“Days,” Arashi swallows.  

“So your fear of him totally makes sense,” Nazuna promises him.  “You don’t  _ have  _ to do anything with him ever again if you don’t feel up to it.  Nobody will think less of you.”

“I might think less of myself,” Arashi sighs.  “But I guess that’s another thing I have to work out, right?”

“You’re doing well,” Nazuna yawns.  “Sorry. Again.”

“Sleep if you want to,” Arashi chuckles.  “I don’t mind you here at all, Nazuna-chan.”

“Mm,” Nazuna breathes out slowly, his fingers curling into Arashi’s collar.  “Thank you, Arashi-chin.”

Arashi gasps a little and sticks his nose into Nazuna’s hair to hide his reaction to the simple nickname, but the tiniest things can set him off these days and even if the tears are  _ happy,  _ he’s still so damn tired of crying.  

Nazuna’s grip on him doesn’t loosen, though, and Arashi shifts so he’s a bit more comfortable, pulling Nazuna to rest more against him and deciding that if he closes his eyes for a bit and gets some rest of his own, that might not be a bad idea, either. 

-

He wakes up only once, mostly because the warmth around him has increased considerably, and in some ways he’s not even surprised to find Leo curled up on one side of him - muttering in his sleep about how Arashi’s stealing ‘ _his_ Nazu’ - and Mika burrowed under his other arm.  

“Hey,” he whispers, unsure if any of them are coherent enough to reply, and Mika sleepily blinks his mismatched eyes up at Arashi.  

“There’s a story here, but it c’n wait until I’m properly awake,” Mika decides, yawning.  “ ‘m real glad you’re doin’ better though. And if y’ can forgive Nazuna-nii, maybe I can, too.”

Arashi presses a kiss into his messy hair, sighing and hoisting Nazuna more securely into his lap.  A peace that he hasn’t felt since before this ordeal started settles around them and he decides to bask in it for as long as he can.  

They’re all strong, he reminds himself.  Whatever’s going to happen, they’ll make it through alright.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been far too long since I've updated this fic and I apologize for that! A combination of being extremely busy in real life and not knowing where exactly this chapter was supposed to go (I have three different starting points outlined in my drafts) _and_ falling heavily into Hypmic have all contributed, but I hope if you're still reading this was enjoyable! As always, please feel free to comment if you so desire, and while I can't make any promises, I really hope I can get the next chapter out a little quicker!


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